Battle  of  La 


Reminis 


'lagships 


461V  T 


We  Have  Met  the  Enemy  and  They  are  Ours' 


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HISTORY  OF  THE 

Battle  of  Lake  Erie 

(SEPTEMBER  10,  1813) 

and 

REMINISCENCES 
OF  THE  FLAGSHIPS 
"L  AWRE  NCE" 
AND  "NIAGARA" 

fry 
CAPT.  W.  W.  DOBBINS 


PIRST    EDITION    PUBLISHED    BY 

ASHBY  &  VINCENT 
ERIE,  PENNSYLVANIA 
IN  THE  YEAR  1876 


SECOND    EDITION 


ASHBY  PRINTING  COMPANY,  PUBLISHERS 
ERIE,       PENNSYLVANIA,       1913 


E 


0,1)58 


Copyrighted   1913  by 

ASHBY  PRINTING  COMPANY 

KRIE,  PA. 


PREFACE. 


|N  offering  this  pamphlet  to  the  public, 
it  may  be  deemed  necessary  to  offer 
some  apology.  There  have  been 
many  accounts  of  Perry's  Victory, 
Sept.  10th,  1813,  published.  Yet  in  conse 
quence  of  the  unfortunate  feud  existing  be 
tween  Perry  and  Elliott  and  their  friends,  the 
accounts  partook  somewhat  of  an  ex  parte 
character.  This  is  not  a  correct  way  to  hand 
down  passing  events  to  posterity.  In  writing 
history,  facts  should  be  given  as  nearly  as 
possible,  not  fiction. 

My  father,  Sailing  Master  Daniel  Dobbins, 
was  a  pioneer  in  the  construction  of  the 
squadron,  and  served  actively  upon  the  upper 
lakes  during  the  war.  From  conversations 
during  his  lifetime,  as  also  memoranda  and 
other  papers  left  by  him — in  connection  with 
the  accounts  given  by  McKenzie,  Cooper  and 
Lossing,  I  have  compiled  this  little  book. 

I  hope  the  reader  will  excuse  the  common 
place  style  of  composition,  as  it  is  the  effort 
of  an  illiterate  sailor. 

W.  W.  DOBBINS. 


HISTORY  OF  THE 

BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

AND  REMINISCENCES  OF  THE 

FLAGSHIPS  ^LAWRENCE" 
AND  "NIAGARA" 


I. 

T  THE  time  war  was  declared  with 
Great  Britain  in  1812,  the  Canadian 
frontier  was  in  advance  of  us  in  com 
merce  and  agriculture.  A  goodly  portion  of 
our  supplies  of  merchandise,  particularly  gro 
ceries,  came  to  us  from  Montreal.  In  regard  to 
agriculture,  the  tory  emigration  from  the  United 
States  at  the  commencement  of,  and  during 
the  Revolution,  had  accomplished  good  work 
in  this  line,  assisted  by  immigration  from  the 
old  country,  and  the  Canadian  French.  Then 
their  military  posts  were  well  kept  up,  and 


HIS  I  DRY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

having  something  of  a  Navy  in  the  way  of 
several  heavily  armed  vessels,  classed  by  the 
British  Government  as  a  "Provincial  Navy," 
and  not  regular.  These  vessels  also  trans 
ported  passengers  and  merchandise.  In  an 
other  point  of  view,  they  were  well  prepared, 
viz. :  they  were  on  the  best  of  terms  with  the 
numerous  tribes  of  Indians,  not  only  in 
Canada,  but  many  on  this  side  of  the  line; 
as  the  British  Government  pursued  a  course 
calculated  to  attach  the  Indians  to  their 
interests.  Their  treaties  with  their  red  breth 
ren  were  always  strictly  kept,  and  no  Indian 
agent  was  allowed  to  defraud  them;  conse 
quently  their  supplies  were  of  the  best.  For 
one  hundred  years  they  have  had  little  or  no 
trouble  with  their  Indians,  although  the 
British  possessions  are  full  of  them.  There 
the  trader  was  safe  at  his  post  in  the  wilder 
ness,  and  the  Roman  Catholic  Priest  on  his 
mission  through  their  midst.  I  would  say  here, 
how  different  has  been  the  course  and  results 
with  us  since  we  have  been  a  Government. 
The  answer  might  be  given  thus: — badly 


Page    six 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

kept  treaties,  corrupt  Indian  agents,  miserable 
supplies,  and  a  vacillating  policy.  Thus,  the 
consequence  is,  bloody  Indian  wars,  at  a  cost 
of  thousands  of  lives  and  millions  of  money; 
and,  from  the  present  out- look,  no  likelihood 
of  getting  better. 

On  the  American  side  of  the  line,  say  from 
Black  Rock  on  the  Niagara  River,  to  Sault 
St.  Mary's  River,  the  outlet  of  Lake  Superior, 
things  were  in  a  poor  condition  to  go  to  war 
with  our  neighbor.  A  sparsely  settled  coun 
try,  with  all  the  wants  and  deprivations  inci 
dent  thereto,  full  of  wandering  tribes  of 
Indians,  the  object  of  whom  was,  with  few  ex 
ceptions,  to  watch  the  chances,  and  were  ready 
the  moment  war  commenced,  to  plunder  and 
massacre.  To  show  how  deficient  we  were 
in  the  way  of  postal  communication,  the  first 
news  of  the  declaration  of  war  along  the  fron 
tier  west  of  Black  Rock,  N.  Y.,  was  through 
Canadian  dispatches  to  their  several  posts. 
When  Mackinaw  was  taken,  the  first  notice 
of  the  declaration  of  war  was  a  heavy  force 
of  British  and  Indians  landing  upon  the 


Page    seven 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

eastern  and  uninhabited  portion  of  the  island 
in  the  night,  and  capturing  the  post  without 
the  firing  of  a  gun. 

But  I  have  digressed  from  my  proposed 
account  of  Perry's  Victory,  and  will  now  begin 
with  a  short  account  of  the  early  work  of  con 
structing  and  fitting  out  the  squadron.  In 
giving  this  matter,  it  is,  in  a  measure,  neces 
sary  to  relate  some  of  the  incidents;  and  as 
Captain  Daniel  Dobbins,  of  Erie,  was  a 
pioneer  in  the  construction  of  most  of  the 
vessels,  it  is  well  to  give  his  early  connection 
therewith. 

In  July,  1812,  Captain  Dobbins  was  at 
Mackinaw  in  command  of  a  merchant  vessel 
named  the  Salina,  belonging  to  himself  and  a 
merchant  of  Erie,  named  R.  S.  Reed,  and 
(who,  together  \vith  a  relative  named  W.  W. 
Reed,  were  on  board  the  vessel)  was  taken 
at  the  surrender  of  that  post.  His  vessel, 
and  one  other  of  the  captured,  were  made 
cartels  to  convey  the  prisoners  and  non- 
combatants  to  Cleveland,  Ohio.  Upon  their 
arrival  at  Detroit,  they  were  taken  possession 


'•  K  h  ' 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


of  by  General  Hull,  and  again  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  enemy,  on  the  surrender  of  that  import 
ant  post.  Captain  Dobbins  now  obtained  a 
pass  for  himself ,  and  the  two  Reeds  through  the 
influence  of  Colonel  Nichols,  of  his  Majesty's 
service,  (an  old  acquaintance  previous  to  the 
war)  and  accompanied  Colonel  Lewis  Cass 
and  Captain  Saunders,  who  were  in  charge  of 
paroled  prisoners  surrendered  at  Detroit  and 
at  Van  Horn's  defeat,  including  the  wounded 
—to  be  transported  across  the  head  of  the 
lakes  in  open  boats,  to  Cleveland.  Passing 
from  island  to  island,  they  arrived  safely  at 
Cleveland  on  the  third  day,  after  a  perilous 
voyage.  Here,  Cass  and  Saunders  were  in 
honor  bound  to  destroy  the  boats,  and  Capt. 
D.  navigated  a  small  sloop  bound  down  the 
lake.  After  alarming  the  inhabitants  along 
the  coast  at  the  sight  of  a  vessel,  be  she  ever 
so  small,  after  they  had  heard  of  Hull's  sur 
render,  he  arrived  safely  at  Erie.  After  re 
maining  a  few  days  with  his  family,  he  was 
sent  with  dispatches  to  Washington  City  by 
General  David  Mead,  who  was  then  in  com- 


go    nine 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


mand  of  that  post,  and  gave  the  first  authen 
tic  information  of  the  surrender  of  Mackinaw 
and  Detroit  at  the  seat  of  Government,  hav 
ing  passed  Colonel  Cass,  who  was  the  bearer 
of  dispatches  from  General  Hull,  sick  by  the 
way.  Immediately  upon  his  arrival  a  Cabi 
net  meeting  was  held,  to  whom  he  gave  a  full 
account  of  matters,  including  the  situation  of 
the  frontier,  and  the  most  suitable  point  for  a 
naval  depot  upon  the  upper  lakes.  He  recom 
mended  Erie,  which  was  adopted.  He  was 
then  solicited  to  accept  a  sailing  master's 
position  in  the  navy,  which  he  accepted,  and 
was  at  once  ordered  to  Erie  with  instructions 
to  immediately  commence  the  construction  of 
gun  boats,  which  work  he  speedily  began  late 
in  October  following.  Upon  his  arrival  at 
Erie,  was  ordered  to  report  to  Commodore 
Chauncey  at  Sackett's  Harbor,  or  to  the 
commanding  officer  at  Black  Rock,  for  fur 
ther  instructions;  which  order  he  obeyed  and 
received  the  following  reply: 


Page    ten 


HI  STORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


"BLACK  ROCK,  Oct.  2d,  1812. 

"Sir: — Your  letter  of  the  13th  ultimo,  di 
rected  to  Commodore  Chauncey  or  the  com 
manding  officer  on  Lake  Erie,  I  have  received, 
together  with  its  enclosed  a  copy  of  your 
instructions  from  the  Honorable  the  Secre 
tary  of  the  Navy,  each  of  which,  together  with 
a  copy  of  this  letter,  I  have  enclosed  to  him 
for  his  consideration. 

"It  appears  to  me  utterly  impossible  to 
build  gun  boats  at  Presqu'ile.  There  is  not 
a  sufficient  depth  of  water  on  the  bar  to  get 
them  into  the  lake.  Should  there  be  water, 
the  place  is  at  all  times  open  to  the  attacks 
of  the  enemy,  and  in  all  probability  when 
ready  for  action,  ultimately  will  fall  into  the 
hands  of  the  enemy,  and  be  a  great  annoyance 
to  our  forces  building  and  repairing  at  this 
place.  From  a  slight  acquaintance  I  have 
with  our  side  of  the  lake,  and  with  what  in 
formation  I  have  obtained  from  persons  who 
have  long  navigated  it,  I  am  under  the  im 
pression  Lake  Erie  has  not  a  single  harbor 
calculated  to  fit  out  a  naval  expedition;  and 
the  only  one  convenient,  I  am  at  present  at, 
which  is  in  between  Squaw  Island  and  the 
Main,  immediately  in  the  mouth  of  Niagara 


g  e   eleven 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


River.  I  have  no  further  communication  to 
make  upon  the  subject.  Probably  in  a  few 
days  I  shall  be  in  possession  of  Commodore 
Chauncey's  impressions,  when  you  shall  again 
hear  from  me. 

"With  esteem,  yours,  &c., 

"J.  D.  ELLIOTT,  U.  S.  N. 
"Sailing  Master  Daniel  Dobbins." 

Mr.  Dobbins  (that  being  the  modest  title 
applied  to  sailing  master)  at  once  replied  as 
follows,  viz: 

"Enm,  Oct.  llth,  1812. 

"DEAR  SIR  : — Yours  of  the  second  inst.,  is  re 
ceived.  In  regard  to  the  idea  entertained  by 
you,  that  this  place  is  not  a  suitable  one  to  build 
gun  boats  at,  allow  me  to  differ  with  you. 
There  is  a  sufficiency  of  water  on  the  bar  to 
let  them  into  the  lake,  but  not  a  sufficiency 
to  let  heavy  armed  vessels  of  the  enemy  into 
the  bay  to  destroy  them.  The  bay  is  large 
and  spacious,  and  completely  land-locked, 
except  at  the  entrance.  I  have  made  my 
arrangements  in  accordance  with  my  own 
convictions,  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  the 


Page    twelve 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


timber  and  other  material  for  their  construc 
tion.  I  believe  I  have  as  perfect  a  knowledge 
of  this  lake  as  any  other  man  on  it,  and  I 
believe  you  would  agree  with  me  were  you 
here,  viz:  That  this  is  the  place  for  a  naval 
station. 

"I  remain  yours  very  respectfully,  &c., 
"DANIEL  DOBBINS,  U.  S.  N. 

"Lieut.  J.  D.  Elliott,  U.  S.  N." 

This  letter  from  Elliott  was  the  only  infor 
mation  Mr.  Dobbins  got  from  that  quarter; 
and  not  being  satisfied,  he  hastened  to  Black 
Rock,  where  he  found  a  Lieutenant  Angus  in 
command;  and  as  he  (Angus)  had  not  heard 
from  Commodore  Chauncey,  or  from  any 
other  source,  of  the  building  of  gun  boats  at 
Erie  (Presqu'ile)  he  was  at  a  loss  what  course 
to  pursue.  Mr.  Dobbins,  however,  employed 
a  skillful  ship  carpenter — the  only  one  to  be 
obtained — and  returned  to  Erie,  determined 
to  urge  forward  the  work  with  such  house 
carpenters  and  laborers  as  he  could  obtain. 
Feeling  the  importance  of  the  occasion,  and 


Page    thirte 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

not  receiving  instructions  from  any  quarter, 
he  wrote  the  Department,  asking  for  such, 
and  for  funds,  having  expended  what  he  had 
at  first  received. 

The  work  was  now  pushed  as  rapidly  as 
possible,  having  received  instructions  and 
funds  from  the  Department.  The  winter  was 
a  very  severe  one,  which  retarded  the  work  in 
many  respects.  It  being  still  urged  at  the 
Department  that  Black  Rock  was  a  more 
suitable  place  than  Erie  for  a  naval  station, 
Mr.  Dobbins  wrote  the  Secretary  upon  the 
subject,  of  which  the  following  is  an  extract: 


,  December  19th,  1812, 
ilTo  Hon.  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy: 

"SiR:  —  *  *  *  In  regard  to  the  vessels 
cut  down,  and  in  an  unfinished  state  at  Black 
Rock,  there  can  be  but  little  confidence  placed 
in  their  safety.  The  yard  is  within  reach  of 
the  enemy's  batteries,  and  if  finished,  the 
vessels  could  be  cut  to  pieces  in  passing  up 
the  rapids  into  the  lake."  *  *  *  * 


Page    fourteen 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


It  will  be  remembered  that  Commodore 
Chauncey  commanded  on  Lake  Erie,  as  well 
as  Ontario,  and  continued  in  command  until 
after  the  battle,  in  fact,  until  April,  1814. 


II. 


BOUT  the  1st  of  January,  1813,  Chaun 
cey,  accompanied  by  Henry  Eckford, 
(Naval  Constructor)  officially  visited 
Erie — approved  the  work  of  Mr.  Danl  Dob 
bins  and  gave  instructions  to  get  out  timber, 
and  prepare  for  the  building  of  two  "sloops  of 
war;"  which  additional  work  was  rapidly 
pushed,  and  the  keels  ready  to  lay,  with  much 
of  the  timber  on  hand,  when  Mr.  Noah  Brown, 
master  ship  builder  from  New  York,  with  a 
gang  of  twenty-five  carpenters,  arrived  about 
the  10th  of  March. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


In  a  letter  from  Mr.  Dobbins  to  the  De 
partment  under  date  of  March  14th,  1813,  we 
find  the  following,  viz:  *  *  "The  keels  of 
the  two  sloops  of  war  are  ready  to  lay,  with 
most  of  the  timber  on  hand — the  gun  boats 
are  ready  for  calking,  and  everything  looks 
encouraging  in  that  respect;  and  yet,  I  have 
my  fears  of  the  secret  incendiary,  as  well  as 
the  prowling  spy  of  the  enemy,  and  in  an 
unguarded  moment  our  labor  may  be  de 
stroyed.  As  a  substitute  for  a  guard,  I  have 
made  arrangements  with  the  workmen  in  the 
yard  to  stand  guard  until  I  hear  from  you. 
Mr.  Brown  joins  me  in  my  opinion  in  regard 
to  the  danger,  and  the  course  I  intend  to 
pursue."  This  guard,  in  connection  with  a 
well  armed  volunteer  company  commanded 
by  Thomas  Forster  composed  of  sixty  citizens 
constituted  for  some  time  the  only  protection 
of  the  town  and  vessels  on  the  stocks. 

Commodore  Perry  arrived  on  the  27th  from 
Black  Rock,  and  at  once  assumed  command. 
The  defenceless  condition  of  the  vessels  and 
the  town  at  once  claimed  his  attention,  and 


Page    sixteen 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


he  immediately  sent  for  General  Mead,  the 
military  commander  in  that^portion  of  Penn 
sylvania;  the  result  of  which  conference  was 
the  calling  out  of  the  military  force  under  his 
command,  or  sufficient  for  a  guard,  and  in  a 
short  time  one  thousand  militia  were  in  camp, 
which  was  ultimately  reinforced  by  several 
hundred  volunteers  from  the  interior  of  the 
State. 

Although  Erie  (Presqu'ile)  had  twice  been 
occupied  as  a  military  post — first  by  the 
French  as  early  as  1760,  and  subsequently  by 
the  United  States  in  1798,  and  where  the  lat 
ter  had  a  stockade-fort  with  three  small 
block-houses  and  other  military  fixtures — yet 
not  a  single  piece  of  ordnance  remained,  and 
the  only  thing  in  the  shape  of  a  cannon  was  a 
small  iron  boat  howitzer,  with  which  the  vil 
lagers  celebrated  the  Fourth  of  July,  and  other 
occasions,  belonging  to  General  Kelso,  it  hav 
ing  been  found  by  him  on  the  beach  of  the 
lake,  where  probably  it  had  been  left  by  the 
wrecking  of  an  armed  French  batteau.  Noth 
ing  now  remains  of  the  French  fort,  but  por- 


Page    seventeen 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

tions  of  some  earthworks.  The  American 
fortifications,  though  gone  to  ruins,  were  put 
in  condition  and  occupied. 

In  comparison  with  the  great"  facilities  for 
ship  building  of  the  present  day  /we  can  form 
but  a  remote  idea  of  the  difficulties  Commo 
dore  Perry  and  his  compeers  had  to  encounter 
in  building,  and  equipping,  his  squadron. 
All  the  carpenters  and  blacksmiths  in  the 
country  having  been  employedfby  Mr.  Dob 
bins  in  building  the  gun  boats, land  all  the 
stores  in  the  village  ransacked!  f  or  ^  iron,  and 
then  forced  to  get  the  most  of  it  from  Pitts 
burgh,  Commodore  Perry  found  but  little  to 
work  with,  the  great  responsibility  resting 
upon  his  shoulders,  and  the  gigantic  task  be 
fore  him.  He,  however,  managed  to  get  a 
small  supply  for  immediate  use  from  Pitts 
burgh  and  Buffalo.  But  the  gallant  young 
hero  was  equal  to  the  task,  and  started  into 
the  work  with  all  the  energy  and  determina 
tion  his  future  achievements  demonstrated. 
He  at  once  wrote  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy 
what  was  immediately  required,  when  car- 


page  eighteen 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

penters  and  *  blacksmiths  were  ordered  from 
Philadelphia.  Mr.  Dobbins  was  dispatched 
to  Black  Rock  for  seamen  and  chests  of  arms, 
and  such  ordnance  as  he  could  manage  to 
transport,  which  was  a  heavy  task,  consider 
ing  the  bad  condition  of  the  roads  incident 
to  the  breaking  up  of  spring  through  a  new 
country. 

On  the  30th  of  March,  Sailing  Master  W. 
V.  Taylor,  a  very  skillful  officer  and  thorough 
seaman,  arrivedffrom  Sackett's  Harbor,  with 
twenty  officers  and  seamen.  Perry  now  de 
termined  to  leave  him  in  command  and  pro 
ceed  to  Pittsburgh,  to  hasten  the  workmen 
en  route  from^Philadelphia,  and  make  further 
arrangements  for  supplies.  Upon  his  arrival 
at  Pittsburgh  made  arrangements  for  canvas 
for  the  sails  to  be  brought  from  Philadelphia, 
including  cables,  anchors  and  other  supplies. 
He  met  with  a  Captain  A.  R.  Woolley,  an 
intelligent  ordnance^officer  of  the  army,  from 
whom  he  received  valuable  aid  and  advice  in 
the  way  of  procuring^armament,  and  matters 
pertaining  to  it,  and  from  whom  he  obtained 


Page    nineteen 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

four  small  field  pieces,  and  some  muskets. 
Captain  Woolley  also  volunteered  to  super 
vise  the  casting  of  the  carronades  and  shot, 
and  other  requisites.  Perry  started  on  his 
return  to  Erie  on  the  7th  of  April,  and  on 
his  arrival  found  the  work  upon  the  vessels 
rapidly  progressing;  though  Mr.  Dobbins 
had  been  able  to  get  through  with  but 
one  12-pounder  from  Buffalo,  and  three 
chests  of  muskets, — floods,  sweeping  away  of 
bridges,  and  almost  impassable  roads  having 
to  be  overcome.  Perry  now,  in  conjunction 
with  General  Mead,  had  a  redoubt  thrown  up 
at  the  point  where  the  land  lighthouse  now 
stands;  and  Mr.  Dobbins  having  in  the  mean 
time  arrived  from  Buffalo  with  two  long  12- 
pounders,  they  were  mounted  upon  it.  On 
Garrison  Hill  another  was  thrown  up,  with 
the  four  pieces  obtained  at  Pittsburgh  mount 
ed  thereon.  Perry  also  had  a  rude  block 
house  erected  upon  the  bluff  overlooking  the 
yard  where  the  large  vessels  were  being  con 
structed,  and  where  a  brigade  of  troops  were 
encamped.  There  was  also  another  redoubt 


Page    twenty 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


thrown  up  on  the  bluff  commanding  the  yard 
where  the  gun  boats  were  still  on  the  stocks, 
with  an  encampment  of  troops  to  garrison 
it,  and  guns  mounted  as  fast  as  they  could 
be  obtained  from  Buffalo. 

The  two  '  'sloops  of  war"  were  built  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Cascade  Creek,  about  one  mile 
above  the  village,  as  a  greater  depth  of  water 
could  be  obtained  at  this  point  for  launching. 
The  gun  boats  were  constructed  upon  a  wide 
beach  of  the  bay,  at  a  point  now  known  as 
"Reed's  Dock,"  near  the  village. 

Mr.  Dobbins  having  been  awarded  the  task 
of  transporting  the  heavy  ordnance  from 
Black  Rock,  or  the  temporary  naval  station 
at  Gonjaquades  Creek,  just  below  that  place, 
to  Erie;  and  after  managing  to  get  a  few 
through  by  land,  notwithstanding  the  almost 
impassable  roads,  and  then  by  open  boats,  as 
soon  as  the  ice  in  the  lake  was  out  sufficiently 
for  a  passage,  called  forth  the  best  energies 
of  Mr.  Dobbins,  as  it  was  done  in  the  face  of 
the  enemy,  they  being  aware  of  what  was  go 
ing  on ;  and  as  soon  as  the  ice  permitted,  their 


Page    twenty-one 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

spies  were  constantly  on  the  lookout.  As  a 
sample  of  one  of  these  hazardous  trips,  he 
started  to  bring  up  two  long  32-pounders, 
weighing  3,600  pounds  each.  In  the  way  of 
a  craft,  he  was  only  able  to  procure  an  old 
"Derham  boat,"  so-called,  which  had  been 
used  to  boat  salt  from  Schlosser  to  Fort 
Erie;  and  after  fitting  her  up  as  best  he  could, 
with  timbers  placed  lengthwise  in  her  bot 
tom,  got  the  guns  on  board,  including  a 
quantity  of  naval  stores.  When  ready, 
tracked  up  the  rapids  of  Niagara  River  and 
started  for  Erie,  having  a  four-oared  boat  in 
company.  He  kept  near  the  American  shore, 
but  dare  not  show  his  sail  except  at  night. 
When  off  Cattaraugus,  in  the  night,  it  came 
on  to  blow  heavily  from  northwest,  and  in 
order  to  keep  her  off  the  beach,  they  made 
what  sail  they  could  with  two  planks  for  lea- 
boards,  and,  after  a  struggle,  succeeded  in 
getting  an  offing.  But  their  troubles  were  not 
ended;  the  great  steering-oar  unshipped,  and 
the  boat  fell  off  into  the  trough  of  the  sea. 
The  heavy  rolling  soon  carried  away  the  step 


Page    tweuty-two 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


of  the  mast  before  they  could  get  the  sail 
down.  But  the  repairs  were  soon  made  and 
they  got  sail  on  again,  when  it  was  found  she 
was  leaking  badly,  caused  by  the  heavy  roll 
ing,  with  so  much  weight  in  her  bottom,  and 
likely  to  founder.  As  the  old  maxim  has  it, 
' 'necessity  is  the  mother  of  invention,"  Mr. 
Dobbins  took  a  coil  of  rope  they  had  on  board, 
and  passing  the  rope  round  and  round  her, 
from  forward  to  aft,  and  heaving  the  turns  taut 
with  a  gunner's  hand  spike,  thus  managing  to 
keep  her  afloat,  with  all  hands  bailing.  At  day 
light  they  found  themselves  some  ten  miles 
below  Erie,  with  two  of  the  enemy's  cruisers 
in  sight  in  the  offing  to  windward.  However, 
the  wind  had  veered  more  to  the  eastward, 
and  they  made  port  with  a  fair  wind — their 
consort,  having  parted  company  with  them 
in  the  night,  safely  made  port,  and  reported 
Mr.  Dobbins'  boat  lost. 

Gangs  of  additional  carpenters,  blacksmiths, 
sailmakers,  riggers,  &c.,  soon  arrived  from 
New  York  and  Philadelphia  and  the  work 
went  bravely  on. 


ge    twenty  -three 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


III  . 

N  THE  23d  of  May,  Perry  suddenly 
took  his  departure  for  Lake  Ontario, 
taking  Mr.  Dobbins  with  him,  and 
leaving  Sailing  Master  Taylor  in  command  at 
Erie.  They  left  that  evening  in  a  four-oared 
boat.  At  the  contemplated  sortie  upon  Fort 
George,  Perry  having  been  offered  by  Chaun- 
cey  the  command  of  the  seamen  and  marines 
that  might  land.  After  a  trip  full  of  discom 
forts  and  dangers,  they  reached  Schlosser  on 
the  third  day.  It  being  impossible  to  get  a 
conveyance  from  there,  Mr.  Dobbins  managed 
to  procure  an  old  Canadian  pony,  and  an  old 
saddle,  with  a  rope  girth,  which  the  sailors 
had  fitted  from  the  painter  of  the  boat.  On  this 
old  Rosinaut  Perry  mounted  in  full  uniform. 
Mr.  Dobbins  smiled  at  the  Quixotic  appearance 
of  his  chief,  as  also  did  Perry,  and  pleasantly 
remarking,  "Any  port  in  a  storm,  Mr.  Dob 
bins;  this  is  the  best  we  can  do."  Mr.  Dob 
bins  advised  him  to  take  the  boat's  crew  with 
him  as  a  guard,  the  banks  of  the  river  being 
infested  with  prowling  Indians  and  spies,  but 


Page    twent  y-f  our 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

he  refused,  however  allowing  Mr.  Dobbins  to 
accompany  him  on  foot  for  some  distance, 
both  being  armed.  Perry  then  gave  Mr.  Dob 
bins  orders  to  return  to  Schlosser  and  procure 
boats  to  take  up  a  draft  of  seamen  to  Black 
Rock,  which  he  said  would  be  sent  up  in  a 
few  days,  or  directly  after  the  affair  of  Fort 
George. 

On  the  27th  of  May,  Fort  George  fell. 
The  part  Perry  bore  in  this  telling  capture  is 
a  matter  of  history;  and  the  first  twig  of  the 
cluster  of  laurels,  soon  to  adorn  his  brow. 

On  the  28th,  the  detachment  of  officers  and 
men  arrived  at  Schlosser,  and  were  imme 
diately  embarked  for  Black  Rock,  where  they 
arrived  the  next  day;  Perry  had  already 
arrived  at  Black  Rock,  having  gone  up  by 
land.  After  the  capture  of  Fort  George, 
the  enemy  evacuated  the  Niagara  frontier  to 
a  great  extent,  and  Perry  at  once  determined 
to  get  the  vessels  purchased  by  the  Govern 
ment  and  prepared  for  war  purposes  by  Henry 
Eckford,  and  blockaded  in  Gonjaquades  Creek 
by  the  batteries  of  the  enemy  on  the  opposite 


Page    twenty-five 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


shore,  up  to  Erie,  if  possible.  At  once  the 
guns  were  dismounted  on  the  batteries,  and 
mounted  upon  the  vessels,  and  the  naval 
stores  got  on  board.  On  the  6th  of  June,  the 
vessels  being  ready,  the  tedious  work  of  track 
ing  them  up  the  rapids  commenced.  This 
arduous  task  lasted  a  week.  In  addition  to 
ox- teams  and  sailors,  they  had  the  assistance 
of  two  hundred  soldiers,  under  the  command 
of  Captains  Brevoort  and  Youngs.  On  the 
morning  of  the  13th,  the  last  vessel  got 
safely  out  of  the  rapids.  The  officers  and 
soldiers  detailed  by  General  Dearbourn  to 
assist  in  getting  the  vessels  up  the  rapids, 
were,  at  the  request  of  Perry,  allowed  to  re 
main  on  board  to  assist  in  navigating  and  de 
fending  the  vessels  on  their  passage  to  Erie. 
This  little  flotilla  was  composed  of  the  fol 
lowing  vessels,  viz:  Brig.  "Caledonia,"  (prize) 
armament  two  long  24-pounders  and  one  long 
12-pounder;  schooner  "Somers,"  (formerly 
"Catherine")  two  long  18-pounders;  sloop 
"Trippe,"  (formerly  "  Con  tractor")  one  long 
24-pounder;  schooner  "Ohio,"  one  long  24- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

pounder;  schooner  " Amelia,"  one  long  24- 
pounder. 

I  have  not  the  names  of  the  commanders 
at  hand,  except  that  the  ' 'Caledonia"  was 
made  the  flagship  for  the  time,  and  of  course 
was  commanded  by  Perry,  the  "Ohio"  by 
Mr.  Dobbins;  the  rest  of  the  commanders 
were  ordered  from  Erie, 

On  the  evening  of  the  15th  they  sailed  for 
Erie,  but  were  driven  back  by  a  heavy  wind 
the  next  day.  On  that  evening  they  sailed 
again.  Great  vigilance  was  necessary  in  order 
to  elude  the  fleet  of  the  enemy  then  cruising 
at  the  foot  of  the  lake,  and  constantly  on  the 
lookout  for  them.  The  British  fleet  consisted 
of  the  following  vessels,  viz:  ' 'Queen  Char 
lotte,"  armament  17  guns;  "Lady  Provost," 
13  guns;  "Hunter,"  10  guns;  "Little  Belt," 
3  guns;  schooner  "Chippewa,"  1  gun.  Had 
they  encountered  our  little  flotilla  there  would 
have  been  some  warm  work,  but  the  disparity 
of  force  was  too  great,  consequently,  victory 
would  have  been  with  them,  and  British 
ascendency  on  the  upper  lakes  would  have 


Page     twenty-seven 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

been  prolonged.  However,  fortune  favored 
the  gallant  Perry,  and  he  managed  to  elude 
them.  So  near  were  they  to  meeting,  that 
when  off  Dunkirk,  the  wind  being  light  ahead, 
and  the  weather  hazy,  Perry  anchored  his 
vessels  close  in  shore  in  order  not  to  be  seen 
from  the  offing.  While  there,  a  man  made 
his  appearance  on  the  bank  of  the  lake  and 
made  signals.  Perry  sent  a  boat  for  him, 
when  he  gave  the  information  that  the  enemy 
had  been  at  anchor  the  night  before  off  the 
20-mile  creek  below  Erie,  and  sent  on  shore 
to  get  fresh  supplies — that  from  an  interme 
diate  point  he  could  see  both  fleets  at  the  same 
time.  But  good  luck  was  on  our  side;  Perry 
with  his  little  squadron  entered  the  harbor 
of  Erie,  all  safe,  on  the  morning  of  the  19th 
of  June.  Every  preparation  and  precaution 
had  been  attended  to  by  the  ever  vigilant 
young  hero.  He  had  arranged  a  line  of  bat 
tle,  when  sailing  abreast  or  in  line ;  also  a  code 
of  signals,  which  were  as  follows: 


Page    twenty-eight 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

"One  gun — Underway  to  get. 

Green  at  the  fore — Form  the  order  of  sail 
ing  ahead. 

Green  at  the  main — Form  the  order  of 
sailing  abreast. 

Green  at  the  main  peak — Form  the  order 
of  battle  on  the  starboard  tack. 

Green  in  the  fore  rigging — Form  the  order 
of  battle  on  the  larboard  tack. 

Green  in  the  main  rigging — Close  more  the 
present  order. 

White  at  the  fore — Open  more  the  present 
order. 

White  at  the  main — Tack. 

White  at  the  main  peak — Follow  the  mo 
tions  of  the  flagship. 

Ensign  at  the  main  gaff — Engage  the 
enemy. 

White  at  the  main,  with  stop  in  the  middle 
—Chase. 

Ensign  in  the  fore  rigging — Repair  on  board 
flagship,  all  Commanders. 

Green  and  white  at  the  main  gaff — Come 
within  hail. 


ge    twenty-nine 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

It  is  expected  Commanders  will  pay  strict 
attention  to  the  order  of  sailing. 

No  property  other  than  public,  or  passen 
gers  to  be  received  on  board  any  of  the  vessels 
under  my  command. 

"O.  H.  PERRY/' 

When  at  the  lower  end  of  the  lake,  the 
British  squadron  usually  rendezvoused  at 
what  is  known  as  '  'Mohawk  Bay"  below  Grand 
River.  This  is  an  indentation  of  the  main, 
with  a  small  island  in  front,  and  a  long  reef 
extending  off  to  the  eastward — making  a  fine 
lea,  with  sea  room  inside  and  good  holding 
ground.  From  here  they  would  sail  to  keep 
watch  of  the  movements  on  the  American 
side.  They  were  rampant  on  hearing  of  Perry 
arriving  safely  at  Erie  with  his  little  fleet, 
despite  their  vigilance. 

The  vessels  to  comprise  the  squadron  were 
now  all  within  the  bay  at  Erie,  and  the  equip 
ping  and  arming  went  on  rapidly.  The  court 
house  had  been  converted  into  a  sail  loft;  the 
sails  were  nearly  completed,  while  the  rig 
ging  was  being  fitted  on  board  the  vessels. 


Pane    t  h  i  r 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Commodore 
Chauncey  was  the  senior  officer  on  Lake  Erie 
as  well  as  Ontario;  and  that  everything  of 
importance  connected  with  building  and  equip 
ping  the  squadron  had  to  come  through  him, 
instead  of  coming  direct  to  Perry  from  the 
Department.  Thus  the  delay  of  many  mat 
ters,  particularly  in  procuring  crews  for  the 
vessels. 

The  two  "sloops  of  war" — afterward  named 
"Lawrence"  and  "Niagara" — were  built  after 
the  same  models,  being  100  feet  straight  rab 
bit,  110  feet  between  the  perpendiculars,  30 
feet  beam,  and  9  feet  hold,  flush  deck,  and 
pierced  for  20  guns  with  two  stern  ports.  Mr. 
Brown,  the  efficient  and  enterprising  master- 
builder,  gave  them  this  shallow  depth  of  hold 
in  order  to  have  a  good  heighth  of  "quarters" 
or  bulwarks,  and  at  the  same  time  avoid 
showing  a  high  side  above  the  water,  and  also 
to  secure  a  light  draught  of  water.  They 
were  hastily  constructed  of  such  timber  as 
came  handy,  though  staunchly  built.  In  the 
language  of  Mr.  Brown  to  one  of  the  work- 


Page    thirty-one 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

men,  who  was  somewhat  particular  in  finish 
ing  his  job,  "We  want  no  extras — plain  work 
is  all  that  is  required;  they  will  only  be 
wanted  for  one  battle;  if  we  win,  that  is  all 
that  is  wanted  of  them;  if  the  enemy  are  vic 
torious,  the  work  is  good  enough  to  be  cap 
tured." 


IV. 

[N  ERROR  has  got  into  some  accounts 
of  the  old  ship's  name — claiming  it  as 
"St.  Lawrence,"  after  the  river  of  that 
name,  as  the  other  vessel  was  named  "Niag 
ara"  after  the  Niagara  River.  The  name 
was  given  by  the  Navy  Department  in  honor 
of  Captain  James  Lawrence,  who  fell  mortally 
wounded  while  in  command  of  the  frigate 
"Chesapeake"  in  her  unfortunate  encounter 
with  the  British  frigate  ' 'Shannon;"  and 
Perry  adopted  Lawrence's  last  words  as  a 


Page    thirty-t 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

motto  for  his  fighting  flag,  viz:   "Don't  give 
up  the  Ship." 

The  schooner  " Ariel"  (of  pilot  boat  model) 
and  ' 'Scorpion"  were  about  63  tons  burden; 
the  "Porcupine"  and  "Tigress"  about  52 
tons.  The  tonnage  of  the  vessels  brought 
from  Black  Rock  were  as  follows,  viz:  Brig 
"Caledonia"  (captured  by  Lieutenant  Elliott 
from  under  the  guns  of  Fort  Erie)  was  85 
tons;  schooner  "Somers,"  65  tons;  sloop 
"Trippe,"  63  tons;  schooner  "Ohio,"  62  tons; 
schooner,  "Amelia,"  72  tons.  This  latter 
vessel  was  condemned  on  examination  after 
reaching  Erie,  and  sunk  in  the  harbor. 

The  gun  boats  being  completed,  were 
launched  about  the  last  of  April — immediately 
fitted  out,  armed,  and  rendezvoused  with  the 
other  vessels  in  the  vicinity  of  the  yard  where 
the  sloops  of  war  were  on  the  stocks,  to  de 
fend  them  in  case  of  an  attack. 

There  appears  some  discrepancy  between 
authors  and  those  who  should  have  a  correct 
knowledge  of  the  date  when  the  "Lawrence" 


Page    thirty -three 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

and  "Niagara"  were  launched.  Mackenzie 
has  it  "on  the  24th  of  May,"  and  most  ac 
counts  have  adopted  that  date.  From  cir 
cumstances,  and  in  fact,  direct  data,  as  also 
the  opinion  of  living  witnesses  who  were  con 
nected  with  their  construction,  the  "Law 
rence"  was  launched  on  or  about  the  25th  of 
June,  and  the  "Niagara"  on  the  4th  of  July. 
Full  crews  for  the  vessels  was  now  the  im 
portant  matter,  and  up  to  the  25th  of  June 
there  had  been  but  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  men  and  officers  received  from  Lake 
Ontario,  the  point  they  were  expected  from, 
and  many  of  these  were  on  the  sick  list. 
Perry  was  every  day  receiving  communica 
tions  from  the  Navy  Department,  urging  him 
to  hasten  the  equipment  of  his  squadron,  so 
as  to  act  in  conjunction  with  General  Harri 
son,  in  a  combined  movement  against  the 
enemy  by  land  and  water.  This  was  very 
perplexing  to  Perry,  as  he  was  short  of  officers 
and  men;  and  to  make  matters  worse,  the  200 
soldiers,  with  Captains  Brevoort  and  Youngs, 
who  had  gone  up  in  the  vessels  from  Black 


Page    thirty-four 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

Rock  to  Erie,  and  Perry  had  made  application 
to  retain,  and  be  distributed  through  the 
squadron  as  marines,  were  recalled  to  Black 
Rock.  On  the  10th  of  July,  Perry  had  re 
ceived  a  letter  from  General  Dearbourn,  say 
ing,  "by  order  of  the  War  Department,  the 
officers  and  soldiers  must  return,"  excepting 
Captain  Brevoort,  whom  he  permitted  to  re 
main,  as  Captain  B.  had  navigated  the  lakes 
several  years  in  command  of  the  brig  "Adams" 
under  the  auspices  of  the  War  Department, 
and  would  be  of  great  service.  The  troops 
were  sent  off  immediately  in  boats  under  the 
command  of  Captain  Youngs.  This  was  a 
sad  blow  to  Perry.  However,  after  writing 
urgent  letters  to  Chauncey,  he  got  news  of  a 
draft  of  men  and  officers  being  forwarded,  and 
on  the  17th  dispatched  Mr.  Dobbins  with  two 
boats — to  be  joined  by  others  at  Buffalo,  and 
bring  them  to  Erie.  The  following  is  the 
order : 


Page    thirty-five 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


,  July  17th,  1813. 

"Sm:  —  You  will  repair  to  Buffalo  with  the 
two  boats,  and  there  wait  until  the  officers 
and  men  destined  for  the  vessels  of  war  at 
this  place,  arrive.  You  will  upon  your  arrival 
at  Buffalo  endeavor  to  collect,  in  conjunction 
with  Mr.  Carter,  boats,  in  addition  to  the 
four  belonging  to  the  Navy,  for  the  transpor 
tation  of  the  men,  say  three  or  four  hundred 
from  that  place  to  Erie.  The  boats  to  be  col 
lected  at  Buffalo  Creek.  -  Great  caution  will 
be  necessary  on  your  way  up,  to  prevent 
being  intercepted  by  the  enemy.  Should 
they  appear  off  this  harbor,  I  will  send  an 
express  to  Cattaraugus  and  the  20  mile  creek, 
to  give  you  information. 

"Very  respectfully,  &c., 

"O.  H.  PERRY." 

"Sailing  Master  Daniel  Dobbins  " 

As  an  excuse  for  frequently  mentioning  the 
names  of  Sailing  Master  Dobbins,  will  state, 
that  I  have  his  papers  and  memoranda  made 
at  the  time  ;  and  as  he  was  actively  engaged  in 
getting  up  and  equipping  the  squadron,  and 


Page    thirty  -six 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

in  operations  on  the  upper  lakes  during  the 
war,  valuable  information  is  obtained  there 
from;  including  the  fact  that  he  was  the  only 
officer  at  the  time  who  was  familiar  with  the 
navigation  and  coast  on  both  sides.  Thus, 
he  was  invariably  detailed  for  duty  on  all 
occasions  away  from  Erie,  requiring  a  knowl 
edge  of  the  navigation,  locality,  and  people; 
as  also  a  good  proportion  of  self-reliance  and 
experience.  Perry's  officers  were  mostly 
young,  without  a  knowledge  of  the  lake  navi 
gation  and  the  difficulties  incident  thereto, 
though  at  home  upon  the  deck  of  a  man-of- 
war  at  sea.  The  average  age  of  Perry's 
officers  is  given  by  Dr.  Usher  Parsons,  the 
medical  officer  of  the  flagship  *  'Lawrence, " 
viz:  "The  average  age  of  the  commissioned 
officers  of  Perry's  squadron  was  less  than 
t wen ty- three ;  the  average  age  of  the  warrant 
officers  was  less  than  twenty  years." 

* 


P  a  }?  e    thirty -seven 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


V. 

Y  THE  25th  of  July  the  vessels  were 
completed,  and  armed,  but  only  par 
tially  officered  and  manned.  At  the 
same  time  Perry  was  in  frequent  receipt  of 
communications  from  the  Department  and 
General  Harrison,  urging  him  to  a  forward 
movement;  and  to  add  still  more  to  Perry's 
anxiety,  Harrison  informed  him,  'The  enemy 
would  in  a  few  days  launch  their  new  ship 
4 'Detroit,"  and  had  just  received  a  reinforce 
ment  of  experienced  officers  and  prime  sea 
men."  This  was  truly  annoying  to  Perry,  as 
his  vessels  were  not  fully  manned;  however, 
those  he  had  were  being  well  disciplined. 
Everything  in  the  way  of  completion  and  prep 
aration  was  fully  attended  to.  The  supplies 
of  ammunition,  stores,  &c.,  were  stowed 
temporarily,  to  get  the  best  trim  of  the  ves 
sels.  This  was  done  that  everything  could  be 
replaced  with  alacrity,  as  they  would  have  to 
be  taken  on  shore  in  getting  the  large  vessels 
over  the  bar. 


Page    thirty-eight 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

The  enemy  made  frequent  visits  near  the 
roadstead  off  the  harbor,  and  sometimes  the 
"Queen  Charlotte"  would  visit  alone.  At 
other  times  the  whole  squadron  would  make 
the  menace.  On  the  21st  of  July,  they  made 
one  of  these  "calls,"  when  the  gun  boats  ran 
down  to  the  bar  at  the  entrance,  and  ex 
changed  shots  with  them,  with  but  little 
effect,  on  our  side  at  least,  when  they  bade 
adieu,  and  squared  away  for  Canada,  prob 
ably  to  report. 

Previous  to  the  war  the  English  had  upon 
the  lakes  what  they  termed  a  '  'Provincial  Ma 
rine;"  the  vessels  had  a  light  armament,  and 
were  used  to  transport  troops,  Indian  goods, 
and  frequently  individual  property,  as  there 
were  but  few  merchant  vessels  at  that  period ; 
several  of  the  British  squadron  were  of  this 
class,  though  they  had  subsequently  been 
refitted  and  armed. 

Here  again  was  a  lack  of  knowledge  of  the 
frontier  on  the  part  of  the  Government.  The 
naval  force  upon  Lake  Erie  should  at  first 
have  been  placed  under  a  separate  command, 
as  Chauncey  had  his  hands  full  upon  Lake 


Page    thirty-nine 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

Ontario,  and  of  course  could  give  but  little 
attention  to  the  operations  on  Lake  Erie. 
Again,  the  men  should  have  been  sent  direct 
from  Philadelphia,  instead  of  round  by  New 
York  and  Sackett's  Harbor  to  Erie — making 
nearly  double  the  distance.  Many  of  the 
carpenters,  sailmakers,  blockmakers,  &c.,  came 
from  Philadelphia,  then  why  not  the  seamen? 
Had  this  course  been  pursued,  Perry  would 
have  been  on  the  lake  with  his  squadron  and 
captured  the  enemy's  fleet  before  they  could 
have  got  out  their  large  ship,  ' 'Detroit;"  as 
also  have  co-operated  with  Harrison,  and  re 
lieved  the  western  end  of  the  lake  of  the  con 
tinued  harassing  they  suffered.  Once  su 
preme  upon  the  lake,  the  enemy  would  have 
withdrawn  his  forces  to  Maiden  and  the  De 
troit  River.  Perry  having  established  a  re 
cruiting  station  on  shore  to  enlist  landsmen 
from  the  troops,  with  the  permission  of  the 
commanding  officer,  had  succeeded  in  get 
ting  about  one  hundred.  In  the  meantime, 
Lieutenant  John  Brooks,  Perry's  chief  marine 
officer,  had  enlisted  some  forty  men  as  ma- 


forty 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

rines.  Perry  now  concluded  he  had  enough- 
some  three  hundred,  after  landing  the  in 
valids — to  cope  with  the  enemy  before  they 
got  their  new  ship  ("Detroit")  out;  and  a 
further  incentive  for  a  forward  move,  was 
that  there  was  a  report  that  the  enemy  were 
endeavoring  to  concentrate  a  heavy  force  at 
Long  Point,  from  whence  the  troops  were  to 
be  transported  with  the  fleet  to  some  point 
near  Erie,  where  the  troops  and  Indians  were 
to  be  landed  and  act  in  conjunction  with  their 
fleet  in  an  attempt  to  destroy  the  village  and 
vessels.  Perry  hastily  informed  the  Depart 
ment  that  he  apprehended  no  danger  of  their 
getting  possession  of  the  vessels,  provided 
they  did  capture  the  village,  as  the  vessels 
were  off  at  anchor  in  the  bay,  where  their 
fleet  could  not  enter,  and  he  could  defend 
them  against  an  attack  from  the  shore. 

The  enemy  not  being  in  the  offing,'  and 
everything  being  ready  for  a  move,  Perry  got 
his  vessels  under  way  and  moved  down  to 
the  entrance  of  the  channel,  when  preparations 
were  immediately  made  for  getting  the  heavy 


Page    forty-one 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

vessels  over  the  bar.  This  was  on  Sunday, 
August  1st.  In  the  afternoor  General  Mead 
and  staff  visited  the  Lawrence,  and  were  re 
ceived  with  a  salute.  The  General  was  much 
pleased  with  the  warlike  appearance  of  the 
vessels,  particularly  the  "Lawrence"  and 
' 'Niagara."  The  General  had  rendered  val 
uable  services  in  various  ways  in  the  building 
of  the  squadron,  and  in  preparations  for  their 
defense;  and  Perry  himself  availed  himself  of 
this  opportunity  to  tender  him  hearty  thanks, 
not  only  on  his  own  account,  but  in  behalf  of 
the  Navy  Department. 

The  "Lawrence"  and  "Niagara"  were  twin 
vessels  in  every  respect — built  from  the  same 
models,  fitted  and  armed  alike,  and  were  full- 
rigged  brigs.  At  the  present  day  they  would 
be  considered  small,  but  at  that  period  they 
were  immense.  The  people  from  the  interior 
on  hearing  the  report  of  the  guns  in  firing  the 
salute  for  General  Mead,  hastened  to  the 
village,  expecting  that  the  enemy  was  mak- 


Page    forty-two 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

ing  an  attack.  The  large  vessels  were  a 
great  curiosi  and  looked  formidable,  in 
their  eyes,  in  comparison  with  the  small  craft 
they  had  been  accustomed  to  see;  and  the 
big  guns  were  giants  of  destruction  in  their 
estimation.  They  felt  proud  of  the  formidable 
appearance  of  our  "war  ships,"  and  sejoiced 
that  we  now  had  a  naval  force  able  to  cope 
with  the  British  fleet,  which  had  so  long  con- 
troled  the  lakes,  and  menaced  us  so  frequently 
—"Could  meet  the  enemy  and  make  them 
ours."  They  felt  that  there  would  soon  be 
an  end  to  the  frequent  alarms,  and  the 
imaginary  war-whoop  of  the  Indian  would  no 
longer  haunt  their  midnight  slumbers.  They 
could  now  go  to  their  homes  and  feel  a  se 
curity  they  had  not  felt  for  the  last  year. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  the  2d,  Mr.  Dob 
bins  took  charge  of  the  "Lawrence"  as  pilot, 
and  kedged  her  to  the  entrance  of  the  channel, 
he  having  sounded  and  bouyed  it  out  the 
day  before.  The  water  was  found  to  be 
quite  low,  in  consequence  of  the  east  wind. 
The  '  'Niagara"  was  then  kedged  up  near  the 


Page    forty-three 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

bar  and  moored  with  springs  upon  her  cables, 
her  port  broadside  facing  the  roadstead. 
The  smaller  vessels  were  then  moored  in  a 
somewhat  similar  manner  and  preparations 
made  to  defend  the  "Lawrence"  while  on  the 
bar.  The  work  of  getting  out  the  guns,  bal 
last,  and  other  heavy  matter  went  on  briskly 
on  board  the  "Lawrence,"  and  in  three  hours 
everything  was  removed  to  the  sand  beach, 
the  guns  being  rolled  up  on  timbers  so  that 
they  could  be  quickly  reshipped  should  occa 
sion  require.  The  fallacious  yarn  of  the  guns 
being  "hoisted  out  with  the  charges  in  them 
and  placed  in  boats  which  were  dropped  as 
tern,"  is  novel  in  the  extreme,  and  does  injust 
ice  to  the  intelligence  of  Perry.  The  absurd 
ity,  if  not  danger,  of  rousing  loaded  guns  about 
in  this  way,  particularly  amongst  the  sand, 
must  be  obvious  to  any  one,  but  more  par 
ticularly  to  those  familiar  with  handling  and 
practicing  with  ordnance.  This  attempt  to 
show  extraordinary  preparation  for  an  attack 
condemns  itself,  as  it  is  well  known  it  takes  but 
a  few  moments  to  load  a  gun  with  prepared 


Page    forty-four 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

ammunition.  Again,  it  has  been  recorded 
that  a  ''water  battery  of  three  long  12-pound- 
ers  had  been  mounted  upon  the  beach,  &c." 
This  is  also  error;  they  were  mounted  in  the 
redoubt  on  the  bank  of  the  lake,  where  the 
land  lighthouse  now  stands,  some  100  feet 
above  the  water,  and  completely  commanding 
the  channel.  There  was  also  the  "field  bat 
tery"  on  Garrison  hill,  directly  abreast  of  the 
channel.  The  "camels"  were  immediately 
got  alongside  of  the  "Lawrence,"  timbers 
placed  athwart  the  vessel,  with  the  ends  rest 
ing  upon  the  "camels,"  and  the  necessary 
preparations  made  for  lifting. 

These  "camels"  were  an  invention  of  Mr. 
Brown;  were  oblong,  with  square  ends,  90 
feet  long,  40  feet  wide,  and  six  feet  depth  of 
hold,  with  a  strong  deck.  They  had  two  holes 
cut  through  the  bottom,  six  inches  square, 
with  curbs  to  guide  the  long  plugs  to  the  holes 
when  required.  The  "camels"  were  placed 
on  each  side,  as  before  stated,  the  plugs 
taken  out  and  the  "camels"  filled,  the  heavy 


Page    forty-five 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

timbers  thrust  through  the  port-holes,  the 
blocking  and  lashiug  secured,  when  the  holes 
were  plugged  up,  and  the  pumps  set  at  work. 
Thus,  as  the  water  was  discharged,  the  vessel 
was  lifted.  Owing  to  continued  easterly 
winds,  causing  low  water,  the  operations  with 
the  "camels"  had  to  be  repeated  before  the 
"Lawrence"  could  be  floated.  After  a  la 
borious  task,  night  and  day,  she  was  got  over 
on  the  morning  of  the  4th,  and  towed  out  to 
her  anchorage.  As  a  sample  of  the  never- 
flagging  energy  of  Perry,  by  two  o'clock  P.  M. 
everything  was  replaced,  guns  mounted,  a 
salute  fired,  and  she  was  ready  for  action.  The 
"Niagara"  was  now  towed  to  the  entrance  of 
the  channel,  and  preparations  made  to  lighten 
her,  while  the  "camels"  were  being  prepared 
for  their  work. 


Page    forty-six 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

i 

VI. 

|N  THE  meantime,  .early  in  the  morn 
ing,  the  enemy  made  their  appearance 
in  the  offing,  and  hove- to  to  reconnoitre, 
when  about  eight  miles  out.  The  smaller  ves 
sels  having  been  taken  over  the  bar  with  but 
little  trouble,  were  all  anchored  with  the 
"Lawrence;"  the  wind  was  from  the  south 
east  and  weather  hazy.  Perry,  expecting 
them  to  attack,  made  hasty  arrangements  to 
give  them  as  warm  a  reception  as  possible; 
and,  if  necessary,  to  run  the  "Lawrence" 
ashore  under  the  guns  of  the  battery  on  the 
bank,  which,  with  the  field  battery  on  Garri 
son  Hill,  and  many  of  the  "Niagara's"  guns 
(the  balance  being  still  on  board)  which  had 
been  hastily  mounted  upon  the  beach,  includ 
ing  the  heavy  guns  of  the  smaller  vessels,  the 
enemy  would  have  had  their  hands  full. 
After  reconnoitering  for  an  hour  or  so,  they 
bore  up  and  stood  across  the  lake.  At  this 
moment  Mr.  Dobbins  had  arrived  alongside 
with  a  launch  loaded  with  shot.  Perry  called 


Page    forty 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

him  aft  to  make  enquiries  in  regard  to  the 
appearance  of  the  coast  from  the  offing,  he 
(Perry)  having  never  had  an  opportunity  to 
observe.  Mr.  D.  told  him  "The  shore  line 
would  show  quite  indistinct  at  the  distance 
the  enemy  were  out,  in  consequence  of  the 
hazy  weather  and  the  high  land  in  the  rear, 
he  then  called  Perry's  attention  to  the  fact 
that  the  vessels  were  all  heading  the  same 
course  of  the  "Niagara,"  and  she  hard  aground 
on  the  bar.  Perry  at  once  exclaimed,  "They 
have  been  deceived — they  think  the  vessels 
are  all  over  the  bar,  but  not  quite  ready ;  bear 
a  hand  sir  with  the  lighters — hurry  up  every 
thing  on  the  beach,"  &c.  Perry  wishing  to 
know  the  course  they  would  take,  dispatched 
the  schooner  "Ariel,"  Lieutenant  Packett,  to 
follow  them  at  a  distance  and  ascertain,  if 
possible.  On  the  return  of  the  "Ariel"  Pack 
ett  reported  that  they  had  gone  to  Long  Point, 
which  was  afterwards  ascertained  to  be  the 
fact.  It  was  afterwards  known,  also,  that 
after  landing  a  courier  they  bore  up  the  lake 
for  Maiden,  and  never  showed  themselves 


Page    forty-eight 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

outside  of  the  mouth  of  Detroit  River  until 
their  encounter  with  our  squadron  on  the  10th 
of  September. 

Some  authors  have  it,  that  'Terry  sent  out 
the  schooners  ''Scorpion/'  Sailing  Master 
Champlain,  and  "Ariel,"  Lieutenant  Packett, 
to  annoy  the  enemy  at  long  shot;  and  keep 
them  at  bay,"  &c.  This  is  error;  the  above  is 
correct.  The  absence  of  the  enemy  was  more 
to  the  liking  of  the  gallant  Perry  than  their 
presence  at  this  particular  time.  It  would 
have  been  considered  an  absurdity  to  send 
two  small  schooners  off  into  the  lake  to 
"annoy  and  keep  at  bay"  the  whole  British 
fleet.  Should  they  have  got  within  range  of 
the  enemy,  they  must  necessarily  be  within 
range  of  the  enemy's  long  guns ;  and  a  little  crip 
pling  of  the  schooners  would  be  sure  to  lead 
to  capture,  as  the  wind  was  ahead  to  return. 
Besides,  by  being  delayed,  they  might  have 
discovered  the  true  position  of  our  vessels; 
as  the  sun  rose  it  would  clear  away  the  haze, 
with  probably  a  shift  of  wind,  when  the  vessels 
afloat  would  swing  to  the  wind  and  show  the 


Page    forty-nine 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


position  of  the  ' 'Niagara."  This  would  be 
poor  strategy,  and  Perry  knew  his  business 
better  than  to  adopt  such.  These  facts  have 
been  stated  to  the  writer  by  Mr.  Dobbins — 
and  he  has  heard  other  officers  conversing 
upon  the  subject,  including  Lieutenant  Pack- 
ett.  Besides  all  this,  Mr.  D.,  in  a  conversa 
tion  with  Lieutenant  Rollett,  a  Provincial 
Officer  in  his  Majesty's  service,  with  whom  he 
was  acquainted  previous  to  the  war,  says  he 
"was  attached  to  the  'Lady  Provost'  at  this 
time,  and  that  they  were  deceived  precisely 
in  the  same  relation  Perry  had  conjectured— 
that  they  well  knew  the  purpose  for  which  the 
"Ariel"  had  been  sent  out,  and  endeavored 
to  deceive  her  until  she  was  well  out  of  sight 
on  her  return." 

The  enemy  having  made  off,  the  work  of 
lightening  on  board  the  "Niagara"  went  on 
rapidly — in  a  few  hours  everything  was  on 
the  beach,  and  the  "camels"  at  work.  In  the 
meantime  the  wind  had  shifted  to  the  west 
ward,  which  raised  the  water,  and  the  next 


Page    fifty 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

day  she  was  floated,  armed,  and  fully  equip 
ped  for  battle.  The  schooners  "Ohio"  and 
" Amelia"  were  left  inside  for  the  present,  the 
"Amelia"  being  condemned  as  unseaworthy. 

Perry  now  had  his  squadron  all  safely  in 
the  lake,  and,  with  the  exception  of  the  proper 
complement  of  men,  was  ready  to  meet-  the 
enemy. 

When  the  British  squadron  had  made  their 
last  visit  but  one  to  Erie,  they  went  to  Port 
Dover,  on  the  Main,  in  the  rear  of  Long  Point, 
where  Commodore  Barclay  and  officers  had 
been  invited  to  dine  with  the  inhabitants. 
In  reply  to  a  complimentary  toast,  Barclay 
said,  "I  expect  to  find  the  Yankee  brigs  hard 
and  fast  aground  on  the  bar  at  Erie  when  I  re 
turn;  in  which  predictment  it  will  be  but  a 
short  job  to  destroy  them."  The  result  of 
this  "return"  I  have  already  stated.  How 
ever,  had  he  made  the  attempt,  he  would  have 
found  it  more  of  a  "job"  than  he  anticipated. 


Page    fifty-one 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


VII. 

HE  whole  country  was  in  a  blaze  of  glory 
over  the  victory  of  the  10th  of  Sep 
tember,  and  yet  Perry  was  deserving  of 
full  as  much  credit  for  having  got  up  his 
squadron  under  such  unfavorable  circum 
stances.  Had  the  Government  placed  the 
operations  on  the  upper  lakes  under  a  sep 
arate  command,  many  of  the  difficulties 
would  have  been  6bviated.  It  is  but  natural 
to  presume  that  Chauncey  would  not  send 
full  supplies  from  Lake  Ontario'  unless  there 
was  a  surplus  over  and  above  a  sufficiency  to 
fully  arm,  equip,  officer  and  man  his  own 
immediate  command;  consequently  Perry  usu 
ally  received  but  a  scanty  share.  And,  to 
make  matters  worse,  seamen  on  the  seaboard 
were  averse  to  this  lake  service,  and  volunteer 
ing  was  up-hill  business.  These  were  some 
of  the  many  difficulties  Perry  had  to  labor 
under;  and  frequent  appeals  to  Chauncey 
had  but  little  effect.  Although  but  twenty- 
seven  years  of  age,  Perry  had  the  decision  of 


Page    fifty-two 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

character  and  promptness  to  act  of  a  veteran 
—to  give  or  obey  an  order  was  imperative. 
Of  a  sedate  and  serious  turn  of  mind,  he  never 
was  addicted  to  profanity  or  light  levity;  of 
courteous  and  charitable  impulses,  his  de 
portment  was  such  as  to  command  respect 
under  all  circumstances. 

The  squadron  being  fully  armed  and  equip 
ped,  but  only  about  half  manned,  and  many 
of  those  enlisted  from  the  militia,  and  receiv 
ing,  almost  daily,  communications  from  the 
Department  and  General  Harrison  urging  him 
to  move  and  co-operate  with  Harrison,  and 
those  from  the  Department  almost  amounting 
to  censure,  his  state  of  mind  can  well  be  imag 
ined.  Overworked  in  both  body  and  mind, 
it  is  astonishing  that  he  did  not  break  down 
under  his  troubles.  However,  he  was  de 
termined  to  do  his  duty  to  his  country,  and 
make  the  best  of  the  circumstances. 

It  was  now  ascertained  through  General 
Porter,  of;Black  Rock,  that  the  enemy  were 
concentrating  a  force  at  Port  Dover  or  Long 


Page    fifty-three 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

Point,  to  be  moved  by,  and  act  in  conjunction 
with,  their  squadron  in  a  move  upon  Erie. 
However,  it  failed  for  the  want  of  a  sufficiency 
of  troops  at  the  proper  time. 

Perry  determined  not  to  be  idle  while  wait 
ing  for  officers  and  men,  and  concluding  he 
could  cope  with  the  enemy  before  they  got 
their  new  heavy  ship  out,  made  ready  to  sail 
for  Long  Point  and  the  Canada  shore  in  pur 
suit.  His  vessels  being  but  half  manned,  he 
got  a  supply  of  volunteers  from  the  army, 
and  sailed  at  four  o'clock  A.  M.  on  the  6th  of 
August.  The  commanders  of  the  several  ves 
sels  on  this  short  cruise  were  as  follows,  viz: 
'  'Lawrence, ' '  (flagship)  Commodore  Perry  ; 
"Niagara,"  Lieutenant  Daniel  Turner;  "Cal 
edonia,"  Purser  Humphrey  Margath;  "Ariel," 
Acting  Lieutenant  John  Packet! ;  "Scorpion," 
Sailing  Master  Stephen  Champlin;  "Somers," 
Sailing  Master  Thomas  Almy;  "Tigress," 
Master's  Mate  A.  McDonald;  "Porcupine," 
Midshipman  George  Senat.  The  "Ohio"  and 
"Trippe"  were  left  behind  for  want  of  crews. 


Page    fifty-four 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

Upon  reaching  Long  Point,  and  seeing  nothing 
of  the  enemy,stood  for  the  mainland,  and  after 
sweeping  the  coast  for  some  distance  and  mak 
ing  no  discoveries  returned  to  their  anchorage 
at  Erie  and  awaited  the  expected  reinforce 
ments. 

Immediately  preparations  were  made  for 
another  cruise,  and  during  the  7th  and  8th 
provisions  and  stores  were  got  on  board.  It 
has  been  said  by  some  authors,  that  a  large 
amount  of  military  stores  for  General  Harri 
son's  army  at  Sandusky  were  taken  on  board. 
This  is  erroneous;  there  were  but  little,  if 
any  such  at  Erie,  and  furthermore,  the  vessels 
had  only  capacity  for  their  own  supplies,  and 
berth-deck  room  for  their  crews — to  say 
nothing  of  their  expecting  to  meet  the  enemy 
on  the  cruise  up  the  Lakes;  and  with  the  ves 
sels  hampered  up  with  extra  stores,  of  course 
their  efficiency  would  be  very  much  de 
creased. 

Perry  now  hesitated  about  assuming  the 
responsibility  of  encountering  the  enemy  with 


Page    fifty-five 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


his  vessels  but  half  manned,  particularly  as 
they  would  be  soon  reinforced  by  their  new 
ship  "Detroit,"  and  was  discussing  the  mat 
ter  with  Purser  Hamilton  at  his  lodgings  on 
shore,  when  Midshipman  John  B.  Montgom 
ery  made  his  appearance  and  presented  him 
a  letter  from  Lieutenant  Jesse  D.  Elliott,  then 
on  his  way  to  join  the  squadron  with  a  number 
of  officers  and  ninety  men.  This  was  joyful 
news  for  Perry,  and  he  immediately  repaired 
on  board,  to  dispatch  the  "Ariel,"  Lieutenant 
Packett,  down  the  coast  to  meet  them  and 
hasten  their  arrival.  The  "Ariel"  returned 
on  the  10th,  and  the  officers  and  men  were 
immediately  distributed  among  the  squadron. 
They  proved  to  be  a  much  superior  class  to 
those  previously  received,  which  was  very 
gratifying  to  Perry.  Elliott  immediately  su 
perseded  Turner  in  command  of  the  "Ni 
agara." 

At  this  time  the  commissions,  which  had 
been  made  out  for  some  time,  were  re 
ceived  via  Commodore  Chauncey.  By  these 
changes,  Elliott  became  Master-Commander, 


Page    fifty-six 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

(the  same  grade  as  Perry)  Holdup,  Packett, 
Yarnell,  Edwards,  and  Conkling,  were  pro 
moted  to  the  rank  of  Lieutenant — they  hav 
ing  been  previously  acting  as  such. 

Mr.  Dobbins,  who  had  been  actively  en 
gaged  on  general  duty  while  getting  the  ves 
sels  over  the  bar,  was  now  ordered  to  the 
"Ohio,"  to  "get  her  over  the  bar  as  soon  as 
possible,  and  to  engage  three  good  pilots 
immediately."  The  pilots  engaged  were  Azial 
Wilkinson,  James  Lee,  and  one  other,  the 
name  not  remembered. 

The  squadron  now  being  ready  sailed  on  a 
course  to  the  head  of  the  lake  on  the  morn 
ing  of  the  12th  of  August,  and  consisted  of  the 
following  vessels,  including  their  commanders 
and  armament,  viz:  "Lawrence,"  (flagship) 
eighteen  32-pound  canonades  and  two  long 
12-pounders,  Commodore  O.  H.  Perry;  "Ni 
agara,"  same  armament,  Captain  Jesse  D. 
Elliott;  "Caledonia,"  three  long  12-pounders, 
Purser  Humphrey  Magrath;  "Ariel,"  four  long 
12-pounders,  Lieutenant  John  Packett; 


Page    fifty-seven 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

"Trippe,"  one  long  32-pounder,  Lieutenant 
Joseph  E.  Smith;  ' 'Tigress,"  one  long  32- 
pounder,  Lieutenant  A.  H.  M.  Conkling; 
"Somers,"  one  long  24-pounder  and  one  long 
12-pounder,  Sailing  Master  Thomas  C.  Almy; 
' 'Scorpion/'  one  long  24-pounder  and  one  long 
12-pounder,  Sailing  Master  Stephen  Champlin ; 
"Ohio,"  one  long  24-pounder,  Sailing  Master 
Daniel  Dobbins;  "Porcupine,"  one  long  32- 
pounder,  Midshipman  George  Senat.  The 
order  of  sailing,  attack,  recognition  in  the 
night,  &c.,  was  fully  and  ingeniously  arranged, 
much  to  the  credit  of  so  young  a  commander. 
On  the  16th,  the  squadron  arrived  off  Cun 
ningham's  (Kelly's)  Island,  without  having 
seen  or  heard  of  the  enemy.  The  wind  was 
ahead,  and  as  the  vessels  were  working  up 
there  was  a  small  schooner  discovered  com 
ing  out  of  Put-in-Bay,  when  the  "Scorpion," 
being  a  fast  sailor,  gave  chase,  and  would 
have  captured  her,  but,  unfortunately,  ground 
ed  on  a  reef  off  Middle  Boss  Island,  and  the 
little  craft  made  good  her  escape  to  Canada. 
She  proved  afterwards  to  be  the  "Ottawa," 


Page    fifty-eight 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

previously  captured  at  Maumee,  and  was 
cruising  among  the  islands  to  watch  the  mo 
tions  of  our  vessels. 

The  next  day  the  squadron  anchored  off 
Sandusky,  and  Perry  dispatched  an  officer 
with  a  boat  to  Lower  Sandusky  to  inform 
General  Harrison  of  his  arrival  with  the  squad 
ron.  On  the  day  following  the  General  and 
staff,  including  Colonels  Cass,  McArthur  and 
Gaines,  as  also  Major  Craghan,  and  some 
twenty  chiefs  of  the  Wyandotte,  Shawnee, 
and  Delaware  Indians,  came  down.  Among 
the  chiefs  were  Crane,  Blackford,  Captain 
Tommy,  and  others.  The  object  of  bringing 
down  the  Indians  was  that  they  might  see  the 
''big  canoes"  and  the  "big  guns"  and  then 
report  to  those  of  their  tribes  who  had  joined 
the  enemy,  what  they  might  expect  when  a 
fight  took  place.  The  Indians  expressed  great 
astonishment,  more  particularly  when  the 
salute  was  fired  in  honor  of  General  Harri 
son's  visit.  After  due  consideration  it  was 
agreed  to  make  Put-in-Bay  the  present  ren 
dezvous,  to  which  place  Perry  moved  with 
his  squadron  and  Harrison  and  party  returned 
to  camp. 


Page    fifty-nine 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 
VIII. 

|N  THE  25th,  Perry  got  underway  with 
his  squadron  from  Put-in-Bay,  and 
stood  across  the  head  of  the  lake  for 
Maiden,  to  see  if  he  could  not  draw  the  enemy 
out.  He  discovered  them  at  anchor  inside  of 
Bar  Point,  and  directly  in  the  mouth  of  De 
troit  River,  and  there  being  a  heavy  battery 
on  Bar  Point,  within  range,  he  concluded  it  to 
be  not  practicable  to  make  an  attack  at  this 
time.  He  could  see  from  the  offing  that  they 
were  not  yet  reinforced  by  their  new  ship. 

At  this  juncture  much  sickness  was  in  the 
squadron,  consisting  of  bilious  fever,  dysen 
tery,  and  chills;  those  mostly  affected  were 
from  the  seaboard.  The  change  from  salt  to 
fresh  water,  coupled  with  impure  salt  pro 
visions  and  few  vegetables,  was  fruitful  of 
disease,  and  Perry  was  taken  down  himself, 
and  a  number  of  his  officers,  including  Surgeons 
Barton  and  Parsons;  the  latter,  with  honor 
able  self-devotion,  continued  his  work,  though 
he  had  to  be  carried  in  a  cot  to  visit  the  sick. 


Page    sixty 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

On  the  31st  the  squadron  received  a  wel 
come  reinforcement  from  General  Harrison's 
army,  in  the  way  of  fifty  volunteers,  including 
several  officers  and  one  doctor,  viz:  W.  T. 
Taliaffero.  They  were  mostly  from  Ken 
tucky,  and  many  of  them  had  been  boatmen 
on  the  Western  rivers,  which,  as  "watermen," 
gave  them  a  slight  knowledge  of  the  duties 
they  were  required  to  perform.  They  were 
immediately  distributed  throughout  the  squad 
ron  to  serve  as  "marines,"  in  place  of  the 
"marine  guard"  which  had  been  promised 
from  Lake  Ontario.  This  brought  the  mus 
ter-roll  up  to  about  490,  all  told.  Great 
attention  was  paid  to  drilling  the  men  in 
their  various  duties,  and  in  making  every 
preparation  for  battle,  as  it  was  daily 
anticipated.  Perry  became  convalescent  after 
a  week's  confinement,  and  was  able  to  take 
the  deck  again,  and  got  the  squadron  under 
way  for  a  second  visit  to  Maiden.  On  his 
arrival  off  that  place  he  found  they  had  their 
new  ship  "Detroit"  fully  equipped  and  at 
anchor  with  the  rest  of  their  squadron. 


Page    sixty-one 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

Perry  stood  off  and  on  all  day,  but  they  did 
not  accept  his  banter,  so  he  bore  away  for 
Sandusky  again  to  communicate  with  Harri 
son.  Upon  his  return  he  found  letters  from 
the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  the  contents  of 
which  were  a  source  of  mortification.  It 
appeared  the  frequent  calls  upon  Chauncey 
for  reinforcements  had  prompted  that  officer  to 
answer  with  a  pungent  and  sarcastic  letter. 
This  so  offended  Perry  that  he  applied  to  be 
"detached  from  the  command  on  Lake  Erie," 
—assigning  as  a  reason  that  "it  was  unpleas 
ant  to  serve  under  a  commander  who  had  so 
little  regard  for  his  feelings,"  &c.  These  let 
ters  from  the  Secretary,  though  rebuking  him 
for  his  frequent  calls  for  officers  and  men, 
and  also  somewhat  censuring  him  for  what 
the  Department  deemed  "extravagant  ex 
penditures,"  closed  with  an  appeal  to  his 
patriotism,  and  soothed  his  lacerated  feelings 
with  assurances  of  the  confidence  the  Depart 
ment  reposed  in  him,  and  at  the  same  time 
counseled  conciliation  with  Chauncey.  On 
the  same  day  he  answered  with  a  temperate 


Page    sixty-two 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


and  respectful  reply,  vindicating  his  conduct 
and  rebutting  the  charges  brought  against 
him;  the  effect  of  which  was  to  not  only  sat 
isfy  the  Secretary,  but  finally  restored  kindly 
relations  between  Chauncey  and  himself. 

vSome  change  of  officers  now  took  place; 
Lieutenant  Smith  was  ordered  to  the  "Ni 
agara,"  and  Lieutenant  Turner  to  the  com 
mand  of  the  "Caledonia,"  Magrath  to  the 
"Niagara,"  in  his  legitimate  capacity  as  Pur 
ser  and  Lieutenant  Holdup  to  the  command 
of  the  "Trippe."  Mr.  Dobbins  had  been  dis 
patched  to  Erie  for  supplies  and  armament, 
as  per  the  following  order: 

4tU.  S.  S.  LAWRENCE, 
"OFF  SANDUSKY,  August  22d,  1813.: 

"SiR: — You  will  proceed  with  the  "Ohio" 
to  Erie  for  the  purpose  of  taking  on  board 
that  vessel  provisions  and  such  other  articles 
as  are  mentioned  in  the  several  requisitions 
you  have  in  your  possession. 

"You  will  use  every  exertion  to  return  to 
this  place  with  all  possible  speed;  and  on  not 


P  a  s  e    s  i  x  I  y  -  t  h  r 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

finding  the  squadron  at  this  place  you  will 
proceed  to  Put-in-Bay  and  there  await  our 
arrival. 

"Very  respectfully,  &c., 

"O.  H.  PERRY." 

"Sailing  Master  Dobbins,  commanding- Schooner 
'Ohio: 

The  following  signals  were  to  be  observed: 

"OFF  SANDUSKY,  August  22d,  1813. 

"On  the  appearance  of  any  of  the  U.  S. 
vessels  of  war  off  this  place  she  will  hoist  her 
ensign  at  the  main  masthead  and  fire  a  gun. 
After  an  interval  of  ten  minutes  she  will  fire 
two  guns. 

"O.  H.  PERRY." 

"U.  S.  Schooner,  'Ohio:  " 

The  "Ohio"  returned  to  Sandusky  on  the 
3d  of  September,  without  meeting  with  any 
of  the  enemy's  cruisers  or  other  mishap,  and 
was  immediately  dispatched  in  a  similar  trip, 
as  the  stock  of  provisions  was  small,  and  the 
beef  not  fit  for  use.  The  beef  and  pork  had 


Page    sixty-four 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


been  put  up  in  haste  by  the  contractors  at 
Erie,  and,  of  course,  carelessly,  consequently 
it  had  nearly  all  become  putrid  when  exposed 
to  summer  weather.  (The  "Ohio"  was  at 
anchor  in  the  roadstead  at  Erie  taking  in  arm 
ament  and  stores  on  the  day  of  the  battle, 
and  Mr.  Dobbins  distinctly  heard  the  can 
nonading.) 

The  season  being  too  far  advanced  for  a 
lengthy  campaign,  and  the  enemy's  squadron 
showing  no  disposition  for  an  immediate 
encounter,  the  matter  was  canvassed  in  re 
gard  to  making  a  combined  attack  upon 
Maiden  with  our  naval  and  military  forces. 
The  most  favored  project  was  to  transport 
the  forces  of  Harrison  to  one  of  the  islands 
near  the  Canada  shore,  and  from  thence, 
transported  in  a  body,  via  the  vessels  of  the 
squadron,  including  boats,  to  some  point  in 
Pigeon  Bay,  say  twenty  miles  below  Maiden, 
and  move  upon  that  post.  After  landing  the 
troops  the  squadron  was  to  stand  up  to  the 
river  and  attack  their  vessels  at  anchor,  pro 
vided  their  squadron  did  not  previously  come 


a  5  e     s  i  x  I  j  -f  i  r  e 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

out  and  attack.     However,  the  project  was 
given  up  as  impracticable. 

At  this  time  three  men,  favorable  to  our 
cause,  made  their  escape  from  Maiden  and 
communicated  to  Perry  much  valuable  infor 
mation,  viz:  That  the  forces  at  Maiden  were 
very  short  of  provisions;  and  that  a  council 
of  military  and  naval  commanders  was  held, 
and  determined  their  squadron  should  sail 
and  give  battle  to  ours  on  the  lake,  or  make 
an  attempt  to  open  communication  with  Long 
Point,  their  depot  of  supplies.  These  men 
also  gave  information  in  regard  to  their 
squadron,  armament,  &c.  Their  flagship, 
"Detroit,"  Commodore  Barclay,  was  armed 
with  nineteen  long  guns;  the  "Queen  Char 
lotte,"  Captain  Finnis,  seventeen  carronades; 
"Lady  Provost,"  Lieutenant  Commander  Bu- 
chan,  thirteen  long  guns;  brig  "Hunter," 
Lieutenant  Bignall,  ten  guns  (mixed  arma 
ment;)  "Little  Belt,"  three  guns;  schooner 
"Chippewa,"  Master  Campbell,  one  heavy 
gun;  with  32  officers  and  490  men,  including 
troops  serving  as  marines  and  volunteers. 


P  a  K  e     sixty- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


According  to  this  information  the  number  of 
officers  and  men  of  the  two  squadrons  were 
about  equal,  though  the  British  had  the  ad 
vantage  in  two  respects,  viz:  their  soldiers 
serving  as  marines  were  veterans,  and,  of 
course,  superior  to  the  raw  troops  Perry  re 
ceived  from  Harrison's  army  and  obtained 
at  Erie,  Secondly,  there  were  over  one  hun 
dred  on  the  sick  list  in  our  squadron ;  whereas 
theirs  were  just  out  of  port,  and  all  in  health. 
In  regard  to  commanders  the  advantage  was 
decidedly  with  the  British,  Here  was  a  young 
and  inexperienced  officer,  who  had  never  been  in 
even  a  single  engagement  ship  to  ship,much  less 
squadron  against  squadron ;  in  fact,  had  never 
seen  any  war  service,  except  in  the  Mediter 
ranean  during  the  Tripoli  tan  disturbance, 
when  a  midshipman;  and  for  a  short  time  in 
command  of  a  flotilla  of  gunboats  at  Newport, 
R.  I.  With  a  hastily  got  up  squadron  and 
armament — sickness  prevailing  among  the 
officers  and  crews  of  his  vessels,  and  himself 
but  just  risen  from  a  bed  of  sickness — he  was 
about  to  grapple  with  a  veteran  who  had 


Page    sixty-seven 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


served  with  distinction  under  the  world-wide 
renowned  Nelson  in  the  battle  of  Trafalgar, 
as  also  in  several  other  naval  combats;  and 
now  in  command  of  a  squadron  which,  with 
the  exception  of  one  ship  and  two  of  the  small 
vessels,  had  been  cruising  as  war  vessels  for 
one  year  under  Captain  Finnis,  an  experienced 
officer,  and  now  second  under  Barclay.  How 
ever,  the  gallant  young  Perry  somewhat  made 
up  for  his  want  of  experience  by  his  redoubt 
able  energy  and  courage,  counseled  by  his 
intuitive  wisdom.  Such  a  word  as  fail  was 
not  to  be  found  in  his  vocabulary. 

On  the  evening  of  the  9th  of  September,  as 
the  squadron  lay  at  anchor  in  Put-in-Bay, 
Perry  summoned  his  commanders  on  board 
the  "Lawrence"  to  receive  their  final  instruc 
tions.  He  claimed  the  honor  of  fighting  the 
enemy's  flagship  with  the  "Lawrence;"  the 
"Niagara"  was  allotted  the  "Queen  Char 
lotte,"  and  so  on.  He  also  showed  them  his 
"fighting  flag,"  which  had  been  prepared  be 
fore  he  left  Erie,  and  on  which  was  inscribed 
the  last  words  of  the  gallant  and  lamented 


Page     si*  ty  -eight 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


Lawrence,  "Don't  give  up  the  Ship."  When 
the  folds  of  this  flag  were  thrown  to  the 
breeze  from  the  main  masthead  of  the  "Law 
rence,"  it  was  the  signal,  to  close  with  the 
enemy.  He  also  enjoined  upon  them  the 
advice  of  Nelson  to  his  commanders  in  going 
into  battle,  viz:  "If  you  lay  the  enemy  close 
alongside  you  can't  be  out  of  your  place." 
These  officers  now  returned  to  their  respective 
vessels  to  reflect  upon  coming  events,  and  the 
duties  enjoined  upon  them  by  their  gallant 
young  chief. 

General  Harrison  had  stationed  a  few  com 
panies  of  troops  at  Put-in-Bay  to  guard  the 
rendezvous,  as  also  to  render  assistance  to  the 
squadron  should  the  enemy  attempt  an  at 
tack  with  their  vessels,  and  troops  in  boats, 
by  boarding  in  the  night  whilst  ours  were  at 
anchor  in  this  rather  small  haven.  The  dis 
tance  from  Canada  being  about  forty  miles, 
the  project  was  considered  practicable  in  this 
summer  weather  and  a  dark  night,  with  a 
moderate,  fair  wind. 


Page    sixty -nine 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 
IX 

|HE  evening  of  the  9th  of  September 
was  one  of  those  beautiful  Autumnal 
evenings  peculiar  to  the  lake  region. 
The  moon  was  at  its  full;  the  gentle  land 
breeze  was  rippling  the  waters  of  the  beautiful 
haven  and  rustling  the  leaves  of  the  surround 
ing  forest.  Occasionally  was  heard  the  hum 
of  voices  at  the  camp-fires  on  the  shore,  ac 
companied  by  the  "peep"  of  the  frogs  in 
"Squaw  Harbor,"  a  small  inlet  on  the  west 
side  of  Put-in-Bay;  and  heaven  appeared  to 
smile  upon  those  here  gathered  for  the  deadly 
strife  of  the  succeeding  day.  The  officers 
were  sauntering  around  the  quarter-deck, 
enjoying  social  converse,  or  canvassing  the 
probable  result  of  the  coming  battle,  which 
they  knew  must  be  close  at  hand,  In  this 
circle  on  board  the  "Lawrence"  none  were 
more  jovial  and  gay  than  the  gifted  and  gal 
lant  Brooks,  the  commander  of  marines  on 
board  the  "Lawrence."  Ever  noted  for  his 
genial  spirit  and  social  qualities,  as  well  as 


Page    seventy 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

manly  beauty,  he  was  a  favorite  wherever  he 
went;  and  yet,  alas!  so  soon  to  be  sacrificed 
upon  the  altar  of  his  country.     At  the  other 
end  of  the  ship,    "Jack"   was  also  enjoying 
himself — seated  upon  a  gun-carriage,  hatch- 
combing  or  forecastle,   cracking  jokes,   spin 
ning   yarns,    or   discussing   the   prospects   of 
prize-money.     Shortly  the  scene  was  changed 
—the  announcement,   ''eight  bells,"  followed 
by  the  sharp  note  of  the  boatswain's  call— 
"All  hands  stand  by  your  hammocks,"  given 
in  that  deep  sonorous  voice  peculiar  to  his 
office — followed  by  the  shrill  fife  and  rattling 
drum  in  the  tattoo  on  shore.     The   "watch 
below"  were  soon  quietly  sleeping    in    their 
hammocks — dreaming,    probably    of    distant 
dear  ones,  and  quiet  homes;  or,  mayhap,  the 
booming  of  cannon,  and  slaughter  and  car 
nage  fretting  their  slumbers.     Alas!  too  true; 
many  now  sleeping  so  quietly,  ere  the  same 
hour  of  the  succeeding  night,  their  mangled 
bodies  would  be  resting  upon  the  bottom  of 
Lake  Erie,  wrapped  in  the  same  hammocks 
they  were  now  enjoying  in  the  peaceful  slum- 


P  a  g  e    seventy-one 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


bers.  This  is  the  calm  before  the  storm —  the 
human  mind  at  rest  ere  it  is  aroused  to  the 
frenzy  of  strife.  Yes,  such  was  the  scene  at 
Put-in-Bay  the  night  before  the  battle. 

As  the  sun  rose  on  the  morning  of  the  10th, 
"sail,  ho!"  was  shouted  from  the  lookout  at 
the  masthead  of  the  "Lawrence."  "Where 
away?"  responded  Lieutenant  Forest,  the 
officer  of  the  deck.  "To  the  northward  and 
westward,  in  the  direction  of  Detroit  River," 
replied  the  lookout.  The  news  was  imme 
diately  communicated  to  the  Commander, 
and  soon  all  were  astir  on  board.  The  vessels 
of  the  enemy  now  began  to  lift  one  by  one 
above  the  horizon,  until  six  were  counted. 
Soon  the  signal  "Underway  to  get"  was  fly 
ing  from  the  main  masthead  of  the  "Law 
rence,"  and  in  half  an  hour  the  whole  squad 
ron  were  beating  out  of  the  narrow  passage, 
with  the  wind  light  from  the  southwest. 
Rattlesnake  Island  lying  immediately  in  front, 
Perry  was  endeavoring  to  weather  it,  and 
thereby  keep  the  weather  gauge.  Much  time 
was  taken  up  in  this  effort,  and  Perry,  be- 


Page    seventy-tvro 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


coming  impatient,  had  given  the  order  to 
"bear  up"  and  go  to  the  leeward  of  the  island, 
as  he  was  "determined  to  fight  the  enemy 
that  day."  Suddenly  the  wind  shifted  to  the 
southeast,  which  enabled  them  to  clear  the 
island  to  windward,  which  secured  the  wind 
of  the  enemy.  About  this  time,  ten  o'clock 
A.  M.,  the  enemy  seeing  our  squadron  clear 
ing  the  land,  hove-to  on  the  port  tack  with 
their  heads  to  the  westward,  the  squadrons 
being  now  about  eight  miles  apart. 

The  American  squadron  had  been  formed 
with  the  "Niagara"  in  the  van,  as  it  was  ex 
pected  the  "Queen  Charlotte"  would  lead  the 
enemy.  It  was  now  discovered  their  line  was 
formed  differently.  Perry  then  ordered  the 
"Niagara"  to  heave-to  until  the  "Lawrence" 
came  up  with  he/,  when  Perry  held  a  conver 
sation  with  Captain  Brevoort,  the  acting 
marine  officer  of  the  "Niagara,"  who  was  well 
acquainted  with  the  vessels  of  the  enemy  and 
their  armament,  all  except  the  "Detroit," 
and  gave  the  requisite  information.  The  line 
of  the  enemy  was  formed  as  follows,  viz:  the 


Page    seventy-three 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


schooner  "Chippewa"  in  the  lead;  next,  their 
flagship  ''Detroit;"  then  brig  "Queen  Char 
lotte;"  then  brig  "Hunter;"  then  schooner 
"Lady  Provost;"  the  sloop  "Little  Belt" 
coming  last,  as  named,  in  close  order  on-a- 
wind,  with  their  heads  to  the  westward. 

Perry  now  changed  his  line — which  was  the 
work  of  only  a  few  moments — and  arranged 
it  as  follows,  viz:  The  "Lawrence"  to  lead 
and  meet  the  "Detroit,"  with  the  "Scorpion" 
and  "Ariel"  on  her  weather-bow — they  being 
fast  sailing  schooners — to  act  as  dispatch  ves 
sels  to  carry  orders,  if  necessary,  and  to  sup 
port  any  portion  of  the  line,  should  it  be  re 
quired;  the  brig  "Caledonia"  next,  to  meet 
the  "Hunter;"  then  the  "Niagara,"  to  meet 
the  "Queen  Charlotte;"  the  other  vessels, 
viz:  Schooners  "Somers,"  "Porcupine,"  "Ti 
gress"  and  "Trippe,"  in  line  as  named,  to 
engage  as  they  came  up,  without  naming 
their  particular  opponents.  There  being  a 
three-knot  breeze  at  this  time,  10:30  A.  M., 
and  the  line  being  formed  they  all  bore  away 


P  a  £  c    s  o  v  e  11  t  y  -  f  o  u  r 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


for  the  enemy  in  gallant  style.  Perry  now 
brought  forth  his  "battle  flag,"  previously 
named,  and  having  mustered  the  crew  aft  on 
board  the  "Lawrence,"  unfolded  the  flag,  and 
mounting  a  gun-slide,  addressed  them:  "My 
brave  lads,  the  inscription  on  this  flag  is  the 
last  words  of  the  gallant  Captain  Lawrence, 
after  whom  this  vessel  is  named,  viz:  lDorit 
give  up  the  Ship!'  shall  I  hoist  it?"  "Aye,  yie, 
sir,"  was  the  unanimous  response;  when  away 
it  sped  to  the  masthead  of  the  "Lawrence," 
and  when  the  roll  was  broken  and  the  folds 
given  to  the  breeze  three  hearty  cheers  were 
given  for  the  flag  and  three  more  for  their  gal 
lant  commander,  the  spirit  of  which  was 
taken  up  by  the  different  vessels  as  the  flag 
was  descried,  and  one  continuous  cheer  along 
the  line  was  the  response  to  the  motto, 
"Dorit  give  up  the  Ship!"  As  the  ordinary 
dinner  hour  would  find  them  in  the  midst  of 
deadly  strife,  Perry  ordered  the  noon-day  grog 
to  be  served,  when  the  bread  bags  and  kids 
were  procured  for  lunch.  Perry  now  visited 
every  portion  of  the  deck,  examining  every 


Page    seventy-f 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

gun  and  fixture.  For  every  one  he  had  a 
pleasant  word  of  encouragement;  for  the  Con 
stitutions,  the  New  Porters,  the  hunting 
skirted  Kentuckian,  the  gallant  boys  from  the 
Keystone  State,  &c.,  each  were  kindly  and 
encouragingly  greeted. 

For  a  time  a  death-like  silence  prevailed, 
and  the  approaching  warriors  appeared  to  be 
absorbed  in  thought.  The  lake  was  smooth, 
and  the  gentle  breeze  wafted  the  vessels  along 
without  apparent  motion.  This  lasted  for  an 
hour  and  a  half,  as  our  squadron  gallantly 
approached  the  enemy,  steering  for  the  head 
of  their  line,  on  a  course  forming  an  actual 
angle  of  fifteen  degrees.  All  necessary  ar 
rangements  had  been  made  for  the  coming 
strife ;  the  decks  had  been  sprinkled  with  sand 
to  give  a  foot-hold  when  blood  began  to  flow, 
and  the  stillness  of  this  hour  was  occupied 
mostly  in  arranging  and  interchanging  of 
friendship  offerings  to  be  sent  to  friends  in 
case  of  death,  and  such  kindly  offices  for  the 
survivors  to  execute. 


Page    seventy- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

X. 

(S  OUR  vessels  gradually  approached 
the  enemy  in  the  light  breeze,  it  re 
minded  one  of  two  gladiators  in  the 
arena,  the  one  standing  at  bay  in  his  allotted 
position  awaiting  the  approach  of  his  antag 
onist,  as  the  latter  gradually  moved  up  to  the 
combat.  The  British  vessels  presented  a  fine 
appearance;  their  line  was  compact  as  they 
lay  hove- to  with  their  heads  to  the  westward, 
their  newly-painted  sides,  white  sails,  and 
bright  red  ensigns,  as  they  tended  to  the  breeze 
in  the  glowing  September  sun.  Their  move 
ments  and  condition  showed  that  a  seaman 
and  master-spirit  held  them  in  hand. 

At  half -past  eleven  A.  M.  the  wind  had 
become  very  light,  though  our  leading  vessels 
were  all  up  in  their  stations,  viz:  Within  half- 
cable 's-length  of  each  other,  but  the  gunboats 
were  somewhat  distant  and  scattered.  The 
"Trippe,"  the  last  of  the  line,  was  nearly 
two  miles  astern,  in  consequence  of  being  a 
poor  sailor,  particularly  in  a  light  wind,  and 


I\a  ge    serenty-sereM 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


yet  her  gallant  commander,  Lieutenant  Hold 
up,  was  using  sweeps  and  other  means  of  get 
ting  his  vessel  up  into  her  station. 

At  a  quarter  before  twelve  M.  the  mellow 
sound  of  a  bugle  was  heard  from  the  '"De 
troit" — the  signal  for  cheers  along  their  line, 
and  which  was  followed  by  "Rule  Brittania" 
from  their  band.  Directly  a  shot  from  one  of 
the  "Detroit's"  long  guns  was  thrown  at  the 
"Lawrence,"  but  fell  short,  the  distance 
being  about  a  mile  and  a  half.  Thus  the  long 
silence  was  broken.  A  few  minutes  later  a 
second  shot  was  sent  from  the  "Detroit," 
which  took  effect  upon  the  "Lawrence," 
when  a  fire  was  opened  with  all  their  long- 
guns  upon  the  "Lawrence;"  their  line  being 
in  compact  order,  they  were  all  within  range 
of  that  vessel  and  the  two  schooners.  Perry 
now  ordered  Lieutenant  Yarnall](the  executive 
officer)  to  hail  the  "Scorpion",  and  order,  her 
to  commence  firing  with  her  heavy  gun.  The 
order  was  instantly  complied  with  by  Mr. 
Charnplin,  and  was  soon  followed  with  a  shot 
from  the  "Ariel."  Perry  finding  these  shots 


Page    seventy  -eight 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


took  effect,  the  "Lawrence"  opened  with  her 
chase  gun  forward,  which  was  followed  by  a 
discharge  from  the  "Caledonia."  The  long- 
guns  of  the  enemy  began  to  tell  heavily  upon 
the  "Lawrence,"  when  Perry  brought  her  by 
the  wind,  and  tried  a  division  of  the  carro- 
nades;  it  was  at  once  discovered  the  shot  fell 
short.  At  this  moment  Elliott  ordered  the 
"Caledonia"  to  bear-up  and  make  room  for 
the  "Niagara"  to  pass  to  the  assistance  of  the 
"Lawrence."  Perry  now  bore  up  and  ran  down 
to  within  half -musket  shot  of  the  "Detroit," 
when  he  brought  his  vessel  by  the  wind  on  the 
port  tack,  with  her  main  topsail  aback,  and 
commenced  with  her  broadside  battery  in 
good  earnest.  The  "Caledonia"  having  fol 
lowed  the  "Lawrence,"  was  closely  engaged 
with  the  "Lady  Provost" — the  "Scorpion" 
and  "Ariel"  having  followed  the  "Lawrence," 
and  keeping  their  places  on  her  weather-bow, 
were  using  their  heavy  guns  to  good  advan 
tage.  The  "Niagara,"  however,  instead  of 
following  the  "Lawrence"  into  close  action, 
kept  her  wind  with  her  maintopsail  aback, 


Page    seventy -nine 


ffl  STORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

using  her  two  long  12's,  being  completely  out 
of  range  with  the  carronades,  her  broadside 
battery;  consequently  the  battle,  for  a  time, 
was  mainly  by  the  "Lawrence,"  "Caledonia," 
"Scorpion,"  and  "Ariel"  fighting  the  whole 
British  squadron,  assisted  only  by  the  two 
long  12's  of  the  "Niagara,"  and  the  distant 
random"  shots  from  the  headmost  gunboats. 

At  this  juncture  the  "Queen  Charlotte" 
finding  her  24-pound  carronades  (her  broad 
side  battery)  would  not  reach  the  "Niagara," 
ordered  the  "Hunter"  to  make  room  for  her 
to  pass  and  close  with  the  "Detroit,"  from 
which  position  she  could  use  her  short  guns 
to  advantage  upon  the  "Lawrence."  In  this 
situation  the  "Lawrence"  sustained  the  fire 
of  these  two  heavy  vessels,  as  also  random 
shots  from  the  others,  for  over  two  hours,  and 
until  every  gun  was  dismounted,  two-thirds 
of  her  crew  either  killed  or  wounded,  and  so 
badly  cut  up  aloft  as  to  be  unmanageable. 
The  gallant  Perry  finding  he  could  do  nothing 
more  with  the  "Lawrence,"  ordered  the  only 
boat  left  him  alongside,  and  leaving  Lieuten- 


Page    eighty 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

ant  Yarnall  to  surrender  her  to  the  enemy, 
should  it  become  necessary,  took  his  '  'fight 
ing  flag"  under  his  arm  and  pulled  for  the 
"Niagara,"  then  passing  the  "Lawrence's" 
weather-beam  on  a  wind,  to  gain  the  head  of 
the  enemy's  line.  In  the  meantime,  the 
enemy  seeing  they  had  rendered  the  "Law 
rence"  "hors  du  combat"  and  in  the  act  of 
striking  her  colors,  filed  away  with  their 
heads  to  the  westward — cheering  along  their 
line,  and  feeling  certain  the  day  would  be 
theirs— the  while  temporarily  repairing  dam 
ages,  evidently  designing  to  get  their  vessels 
upon  the  other  tack,  and  gaining  the  weather 
gauge,  or,  if  not  that  to  get  room  to  wear  and 
thereby  bring  their  starboard  sides  (which 
were  comparatively  fresh)  to  bear  upon  our 
vessels. 

Perry,  on  reaching  the  "Niagara,"  was  met 
at  the  gangway  by  Elliott.  It  is  claimed  by 
some  of  the  officers  of  the  "Niagara,"  that  he 
spoke  somewhat  despondently,  and  much  out 
of  humor  at  the  gunboats  not  getting  up  in 
time. 


h  t  y  -  o  n  e 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

Elliott  spoke  encouragingly,  and,  antici 
pating  Perry's  wish,  offered  to  take  the  boat, 
pull  astern,  and  bring  the  gunboats  up  into 
close  action,  which  proposition  was  thankful 
ly  accepted  by  Perry,  and  Elliott  immediate 
ly  started  upon  his  mission.  A  breeze  at  this 
time  (quarter  past  two  P.  M.)  springing  up, 
both  squadrons  gradually  drew  ahead — the 
"Lawrence"  dropping  out  of  line.  By  ap 
parent  consent  of  both  parties  there  was  a 
general  cessation  of  firing,  as  it  would  appear, 
both  preparing  for  the  desperate  and  final 
struggle.  Under  the  freshening  breeze  the 
"Niagara"  had  obtained  a  commanding  posi 
tion  abreast  the  "Detroit,"  with  the  "Queen 
Charlotte"  following  immediately  in  the  wake 
of  that  vessel.  The  gunboats,  in  the  mean 
time,  by  using  every  exertion  and  with  the 
freshening  breeze,  were  getting  up  within 
range  with  their  heavy  guns,  using  round  shot 
and  grape  upon  the  enemy's  two  heavy  ves 
sels,  having  been  ordered  to  cease  firing  upon 
the  smaller  ones  by  Elliott,  and  he  taking 
command  of  the  "Somers,"  the  headmost  one, 
himself. 


Page    eighty -two 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


At  forty-five  minutes  past  two,  the  gun 
boats  being  well  up,  the  '  'Caledonia"  in  good 
position  on  the  '  'Niagara's"  lee-quarter,  and 
all  ready  for  a  final  effort,  Perry  showed  the 
signal  for  ''close  action'  from  the  ''Niagara," 
then  under  fore  and  main  topsails,  top  gal- 
lantsails,  foresail,  jib,  and  fore  and  aft  main 
sail,  bore  up  for  the  enemy's  line.  The  enemy, 
in  the  meantime,  having  discovered  the  in 
tention  of  Perry,  viz:  to  break  through  their 
line,  the  "Detroit"  bore  up  to  prevent  being 
raked,  and  the  "Queen  Charlotte"  attempted 
to  pass  the  "Detroit"  to  leeward  and  meet  the 
"Niagara"  broadside-on  after  she  had  passed 
through  their  line,  the  "Detroit"  to  follow, 
and  cross  her  stern.  However,  the  "Ni 
agara"  came  down  so  rapidly,  and  reserving 
her  fire,  until  she  got  close  aboard,  jibed  over 
the  fore  and  aft  mainsail,  and  bailed  it  up, 
and  when  she  got  abreast  of  the  "Detroit," 
gave  her  and  the  "Queen  Charlotte"  the  star 
board  broadside  at  half  pistol  shot,  and 
poured  the  port  broadside  into  the  "Lady 
Provost"  and  "Chippewa."  So  rapid  was 


Page    eighty -three 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

the  movements  of  the  "Niagara"  they  were 
taken  unawares;  the  "Queen  Charlotte"  did 
not  take  room  enough  to  pay  off,  conse 
quently  got  becalmed  under  the  lee  of  the 
"Detroit,"  which  vessel,  in  bearing  up  to  pre 
vent  being  raked,  fell  athwart  the  bows  of 
the  "Queen  Charlotte,"  and  fouled  with  her. 
In  this  predicament  they  received  the  broad 
side  of  the  "Niagara,"  as  also  a  heavy  fire 
from  the  "Caledonia,"  which  vessel  had  fol 
lowed  the  "Niagara"  down  through  the 
enemy's  line.  In  the  meantime  the  gunboats 
were  seriously  cutting  them  up  with  their  long 
heavy  guns  at  close  range.  After  passing 
through  the  line  the  "Niagara"  rounded-to 
on  the  starboard  tack  under  their  lee,  with 
her  main  topsail  aback,  and  kept  pouring 
broadside  after  broadside  into  these  two  en 
tangled  vessels.  So  fierce  was  this  closing 
contest,  and  the  destruction  so  great  on  board 
these  two  vessels  in  particular,  that  in  fifteen 
minutes  from  the  time  the  "Niagara"  bore 
up,  an  officer  appeared  on  the  taff-rail  of  the 
"Queen  Charlotte"  with  a  white  handker- 


Page    eighty-four 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


chief  fastened  to  a  boarding-pike,  and  waved 
it  as  a  symbol  of  submission — they  had. 
struck — the  "Detroit"  followed,  the  hail  was 
passed  from  vessel  to  vessel  and  the  firing 
ceased.  Two  of  their  smaller  vessels  at 
tempted  to  escape,  but  were  promptly  pur 
sued  and  brought  back  by  the  ' 'Scorpion" 
and  "Trippe." 


XI  . 

S  SOON  as  the  smoke  cleared  away  the 
two  squadrons  were  found  to  be  inter 
mingled.  The  "Niagara"  lay  close  un 
der  the  lee  of  the  "Detroit,"  "Queen  Char 
lotte,"  and  "Hunter;"  the  "Caledonia," 
"Trippe"  and  "Scorpion"  near  the  "Niagara," 
having  followed  that  vessel  through  the 
enemy's  line;  the  "Lady  Provost"  and  "Chip- 
pewa"  a  little  distance  to  the  westward,  with 
the  "Somers,"  "Tigress,"  and  "Porcupine" 
abreast  of  the  "Hunter;"  the  shattered  and 
glorious  "Lawrence"  was  drifting  with  the 


Page    eighty -five 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


wind  some  distance  to  the  eastward.  Like 
a  wounded  warrior,  who  had  fallen  in  the 
thickest  of  the  fight,  she  could  only  look  at 
the  victorious  result  she  had  suffered  in 
achieving.  At  the  shout  of  victory  her  flag 
was  again  hoisted  by  the  remaining  heroes 
upon  her  bloody  deck,  there  forever  to  re 
main. 

At  this  juncture  the  gallant  Perry  wrote 
his  laconic  notes  to  General  Harrison,  and 
Hon.  Wm.  Jones,  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 
using  the  back  of  an  old  letter  for  his  note  to 
the  General,  and  the  blank  leaf  in  that  to  the 
vSecretary,  with  the  top  of  his  navy  cap  to 
write  upon.  They  were  as  follows,  viz: 

"U.  S.  S.  "NIAGARA,"  Sept.  10th— 4  P.M. 

"DEAR  GEN'L: — We  have  met  the  enemy 
and  they  are  ours;  two  ships,  two  brigs,  one 
schooner,  and  one  sloop. 

"Yours  with  great  respect  and  esteem, 

"O.  H.   PERRY." 


Page    eighty -six 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


A  few  moments  later,  and  after  reflecting 
upon  his  wonderful  preservation  amid  such 
carnage  and  destruction,  the  goodness  of  that 
power  who  controls  all  things,  he  wrote  to  the 
vSecretary,  viz: 

"U.  S.  BRIG  "NIAGARA,"  OFF  THE! 
WEST  SISTER,  HEAD  OF  LAKE  }- 
ERIE,  Sept.  10th,  1813—4  P.  M.  J 

"SiR:— It  has  pleased  the  Almighty  to  give 
to  the  arms  of  the  United  States  a  signal 
victory  over  their  enemies  on  this  lake.  The 
British  squadron,  consisting  of  two  ships, 
two  brigs,  one  schooner,  and  one  sloop,  have 
this  moment  surrendered  to  the  force  under 
my  command,  after  a  sharp  conflict. 
"I  have  the  honor  to  be,  sir, 

"Very  respectfully  your  obedient  ser 
vant, 

"O.  H.  PERRY." 

These  hasty,  yet  admirably  worded,  dis 
patches  were  immediately  sent,  via  schooner, 
to  the  mouth  of  Portage  River,  then  the  head 
quarters  of  Harrison,  and  distant  some  twelve 
miles. 


Page    eighty-seven 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


Now  was  to  be  performed  the  proud  but 
melancholy  duty  of  taking  possession  of  the 
captured  vessels.  On  board  the  '  'Detroit" 
Commodore  Barclay  was  found  to  be  se 
verely  wounded,  her  First  Lieutenant,  Gar 
land,  mortally,  as  also  Purser  Hoffmeister, 
severely.  On  board  the  "Queen  Charlotte/' 
"Captain  Finnis,  her  commander,  and  Lieu 
tenant  Gordon,  of  the  marines,  were  killed, 
with  First  Lieutenant  Stokes  and  Midship 
man  Foster  wounded.  On  board  the  "Lady 
Provost/'  Lieutenant  Commandant  Bignall 
and  Master's  Mate  Gateshill  were  wounded. 
On  board  the  "Chippewa,"  Master's  Mate 
Campbell,  commanding,  was  slightly  wound 
ed.  The  "Little  Belt"  had  little  or  no  casual 
ties.  The  "Detroit"  and  "Queen  Charlotte" 
were  much  shattered  in  their  hulls,  as  also 
badly  cut  up  aloft;  and  the  "Lady  Provost" 
had  her  rudder  shot  away.  Otherwise  their 
smaller  vessels  were  not  materially  injured. 
The  list  of  killed  and  wounded  on  board  each 
vessel  was  never  given  to  the  public,  only  in 
sum  total,  viz:  forty-one  killed  and  ninety- 


eighty -eight 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

four  wounded,  as  per  Commodore  Barclay's 
report  to  Sir  James  Yeo. 

Let  us  now  leave  the  enemy's  vessels  and 
count  the  casualties  in  our  own  squadron. 
On  board  the  "Lawrence"  there  were  killed: 
John  Brooks,  lieutenant  commanding  ma 
rines;  Henry  Laub,  midshipman;  Christian 
Mayhen,  quartermaster;  John  W.  Allen,  Jo 
seph  Kennedy,  John  Smith,  Andrew  Michael, 
Charles  Pohig,  Nelson  Peters,  James  Jones, 
John  Rose,  Thomas  Butler,  and  James  Brown, 
seamen;  James  Cayst,  sailmaker's  mate;  Wm. 
Mays,  carpenter's  mate;  Philip  Sharpley, 
corporal  marines;  Wm.  Cranston  and  John 
Hoffman,  ordinary  seamen;  Etherid  Sykes, 
landsman;  John  C.  Kelly,  private  in  Kentucky 
volunteers ;  Jesse  Harland  and  Abner  Williams, 
privates  of  marines — 22. 

Wounded — John  L.  Yarnall,  1st  lieutenant, 
Dulaney  Forest,  2d  lieutenant;  W.  V.  Taylor, 
sailing  master;  Samuel  Hamilton,  purser; 
Thomas  Claxton  and  Adjutant  Swartwout, 
midshipmen;  Jonas  Stone,  carpenter;  Wm.  C. 
Kean,  master-at-arms ;  Francis  Mason,  John 


P  a  K  c    eight)- -nine 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


Newen,  Joseph  Lewis,  arid  Ezekiel  Fowler, 
quartermasters;  John  E.  Brown  and  James 
Helan,  quarter-gunners;  Geo.  Cornell,  car 
penter's  mate;  Wm.  Johnson,  boatswain's 
mate;  Thomas  Hammond,  armorer;  Wm. 
Thompson,  Geo.  Varnum,  James  Moses,  Wm. 
Rose,  Joseph  Deming,  Wm.  Daring,  John 
Clay,  Stephen  Fairfield,  Geo.  Williams,  Lan- 
nan  Huse,  James  Waddington,  John  Burnham, 
John  Burdeen,  and  Andrew  Mattison,  sea 
men;  Jeremiah  Easterbrook,  Henry  Schroder, 
Benone  Price,  Thos.  Robinson,  Peter  Kinsley, 
Nathan  Chapman,  Thomas  Hill,  Barney  Mc- 
Clair,  Wrm.  Dawson,  Westerly  Johnson,  Sam 
uel  Spy  wood,  Robert  Hill,  Francis  Cummings, 
Thos.  Reed,  Charley  Vandyke,  Wm.  Simpson, 
Jesse  Williams,  and  James  Hadley,  ordinary 
seamen;  James  Bird,  sergeant  marines;  Wm. 
Burnett,  Wm.  Baggs,  David  Christy,  Henry 
Vandoo,  marines;  Thos.  Triff,  Elijah  Partin, 
John  Adams,  Charles  Harrington,  and  Wm. 
B.  Perkins,  landsmen;  Nathaniel  Wade  and 
Newport  Hazard,  boys — 61.  (On  the  morn- 


Page    ninety 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


ing  of  the  battle  the  sick  list  of  the  "Law 
rence"  numbered  thirty-one  unfit  for  duty.) 

On  board  of  the  "Niagara"  the  killed  were 
Peter  Morce,  seaman;  Isaac  Hardy,  ordinary 
seamen — 2.  Wounded,  John  J.  Edwards,  1st 
lieutenant;  Acting  Master  Webster;  John  C. 
Cummings,  midshipman;  John  Filton,  boat 
swain's  mate;  Edward  Martin,  George  Platt, 
Henry  Davidson,  James  Lansford,  Thos.  Wil 
son,  Charles  Davidson,  Daniel  Bennett,  sea 
men;  Wm.  Davis,  Ronvell  Hall,  Elias  Wiley, 
John  M:  Stribuck,  ordinary  seamen  ;- 
Mason,  sergeant  marines;  -  -  Scott,  cor 
poral  marines;  Joshua  Trapnill,  Thos.  Miller, 
John  Rumas,  Geo.  McManomy,  George  Scof- 
field,  and  Samuel  Cochran,  marines — 23.  (On 
the  morning  of  the  battle  the  sick  list  of  the 
"Niagara"  contained  twenty-eight  unfit  for 
duty.) 

On  board  the  "Caledonia,"  none  killed. 
Wounded,  James  Artis,  Isaac  Perkins,  James 
Phillips— 3. 

On    board    the     "Somers,"     none     killed. 


Page     ninety -one 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

Wounded,  Charles  Ordeen  and  Godfrey  Bow 
man — 2. 

On  board  the  "Ariel,"  killed,  John  White, 
boatswain's  mate — 1.  Wounded,  Wm.  Sloss, 
Robert  Wilson,  seamen;  John  Lucas,  lands 
man. 

On  board  the  "Trippe,"  none  killed. 
Wounded,  Isaac  Green,  soldier,  acting  ma 
rine. 

On  board  the  ' 'Scorpion,"  killed,  John 
Clark,  midshipman;  John  Sylhammer,  lands 
man — 2. 

On  board  the  "Porcupine"  and  "Tigress," 
none  killed  or  wounded. 

About  four  P.  M.  a  boat  was  seen  approach 
ing  the  "Lawrence"  and  Perry  recognized  in 
it.  He  was  now  returning  to  his  shattered 
and  helpless  ship  to  meet  the  remnant  of  her 
gallant  crew  in  this  hour  of  victory,  and  that 
they  should  be  witnesses  of  the  formal  sur 
render.  Dr.  Parsons  says:  "Those  of  us  who 
were  spared,  and  were  able  to  walk,  met  him 
at  the  gangway  to  welcome  him  on  board; 


Page     ninety -two 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

but  the  salutation  was  a  silent  one — not  a 
word  could  find  utterance." 

"The  battle  o'er,  the  victory  won,"  all 
offered  up  a  silent  prayer  for  the  miraculous 
escape  from  injury  of  their  gallant  young 
chieftain;  and  himself,  claiming  in  a  conver 
sation  with  Purser  Hamilton,  that  he  "believed 
the  prayers  of  his  wife  had  saved  him." 

During  the  day  Perry  had  worn  a  round - 
jacket;  he  now  resumed  his  undress  uniform 
to  receive  the  officers  of  the  captured  vessels 
in  tendering  their  swords,  as  a  formal  sub 
mission.  In  coming  on  board  they  picked 
their  way  among  the  carnage  and  wreck,  and, 
on  approaching  Perry,  presented  their  swords. 
Perry,  in  a  bland  and  low  tone,  requested 
them  to  "retain  their  side  arms."  Lieuten 
ant  O'Keefe,  of  the  Forty-first  Royal  Regi 
ment,  was  charged  by  Commodore  Barclay 
with  the  delivery  of  his  sword.  It  was  said 
he  presented  a  fine  appearance,  being  a  large, 
finely  formed  man,  and  in  full  dress.  Perry 
then  inquired,  with  deep  concern,  in  regard 


Page    ninety  -three 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

to  the  condition  of  Commodore  Barclay  and 
the  other  wounded  officers,  and  tendered  every 
assistance  within  his  reach.  In  the  course  of 
the  evening  Perry  visited  Barclay  on  board 
the  "Detroit,"  and  tendered  him  every  sym 
pathy;  also  promised  to  assist  in  procuring 
an  early  parole,  as  Barclay  was  anxious  to 
return  to  England  as  soon  as  possible  on  ac 
count  of  his  health. 


XII  . 

|T  BEING  deemed  inadvisable  to  try 
and  save  the  killed  for  burial  on  shore 
— more  particularly  those  on  board 
the  "Lawrence" — at  nightfall  they  were  all 
lashed  up  in  their  hammocks,  with  a  32- 
pound  shot  for  a  companion  to  anchor  them 
on  the  bottom  of  the  lake;  the  surviving 
officers  and  men  gathered  around  as  wit 
nesses  to  the  solemn  scene;  the  burial  service 


Page    ninety -four 


W    fti 

«w 

81 
is 

1 1 


•f. 

<    K 
u 

"<    W 

<j 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

of  the  Episcopal  Church  read  by  the  chap 
lain,  " Ashes  to  ashes,  dust  to  dust,"  when 

Down,    down,    they   sank,    without   a 

knell, 
Yet  in  their  country's  cause  they  fell. 

Such  was  the  burial  of  the  foremost  Jacks 
who  fell  on  the  10th  of  September.  Those 
on  the  larger  vessels  of  the  enemy  were  thrown 
overboard  as  fast  as  they  were  killed,  though 
not  so  with  the  smaller ;  those  remaining  were 
buried  with  ours.  As  the  mellow  rays  of  the 
Autumnal  sunset  were  radiating  from  the 
western  horizon,  the  blue  waters  of  Lake  Erie 
closed  over  the  remains  of  these  gallant  sons 
of  Neptune  and  Mars,  who  but  a  few  hours 
before,  were  hurling  defiance  and  destruction 
at  each  other,  but  now  hushed  in  death  and 
everlasting  peace,  their  spirits  in  the  presence 
of  their  God.  The  remains  of  the  officers 
were  reserved  for  burial  on  shore. 

The  night  of  the  10th  of  September,  1813, 
was  ever  vividly  remembered  by  the  sur 
vivors  of  both  squadrons  as  the  vessels  lay 


P  a  s  e    n  i  11  e  t  y  -  f  i  v  e 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


intermingled  at  anchor  in  the  open  lake. 
The  booming  of  cannon,  the  crash  of  timbers, 
and  slaughter  of  human  beings  had  ceased; 
but  the  dreadful  havoc  remained.  The  stern 
order  of  the  officer,  and  prompt  response  of 
the  subordinate,  in  looking  after  the  safety 
of  the  vessels  was  blended  with  the  groans  of 
the  wounded.  The  honor  of  the  two  nations 
had  been  vindicated  by  the  slaughter  of  their 
devoted  sons,  the  wounded  of  whom  were  now 
endeavoring  to  soothe  and  comfort  each  other 
in  their  affliction. 

On  the  morning  of  the  llth  Perry  removed 
his  flag  to  the  schooner  "Ariel,"  intending  to 
make  her  the  flagship  for  the  present,  the 
"Lawrence"  being  a  complete  wreck.  At 
nine  A.  M.,  the  signal  was  made  to  "weigh 
anchor,"  and  the  squadron  sailed  for  Put-in- 
Bay,  where  they  arrived  about  noon  and  an 
chored,  when  every  effort  was  made  to  keep 
some  of  the  worst  injured  from  sinking  and 
secure  the  wounded  masts.  Preparations  were 
now  made  for  the  burial  of  the  fallen  officers, 


Page    ninety 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


which   was   to   take   place   on   the   following 
morning. 

The  morning  of  the  12th  (Sunday)  was  clear 
and  calm — emblematic  of  the  day  and  the 
solemn  duties  they  were  about  to  perform— 
the  calm  after  the  storm.  At  ten  A.  M.,  the 
colors  of  both  nations  being  at  half  mast  and 
all  things  ready,  the  bodies  were  lowered  into 
boats,  and  then,  with  measured  stroke  and 
funeral  dirge,  moved  in  line  to  the  shore,  the 
while  minute  guns  being  fired  alternately  from 
the  "Lawrence"  and  "Detroit."  On  landing 
the  procession  was  formed  in  reverse  order, 
the  corpse  of  the  youngest  and  lowest  in  rank 
first,  and  so  on,  alternately  American  and 
British,  the  body  of  Captain  Finnis  coming 
last.  As  soon  as  the  corpses  were  taken  up 
by  the  bearers  and  moved  on,  the  officers  fell 
into  line,  two  American  and  two  British,  and 
marched  to  the  solemn  music  of  the  bands  of 
both  squadrons.  On  reaching  the  spot  where 
the  graves  were  prepared  they  were  lowered 
into  the  earth  in  the  order  in  which  they  had 
been  borne,  and  the  beautiful  and  solemn 


Page    ninety-seven 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

burial  service  of  the  Episcopal  Church  ren 
dered  by  the  chaplains  of  the  respective 
squadrons:  ' 'Earth  to  earth,  ashes  to  ashes- 
looking  for  the  general  resurrection  in  the  last 
day."  The  volley  of  musketry  followed,  and 
all  was  over;  the  heroes  were  at  rest. 

O,  cruel  Mars,  thou  wicked  God! — many  a 
husbandless,  fatherless,  brotherless,  and  son- 
less  family  hath  thy  votaries  made  in  their 
devotion  to  thy  cause — their  adhesion  to  thy 
bloody  motto,  "Seek  the  bubble  reputation  at 
the  cannon  s  mouth."  What  a  time  for  serious 
reflection?  Why  is  it  that  Christian  nations 
will  still  insist  upon  settling  their  difficulties 
by  a  resort  to  arms,  as  the  only  healing  balm 
for  wounded  honor — too  often  only  imagin 
ary?  Here  were  men,  scions  of  the  same 
stock,  speaking  the  same  language,  worship 
ing  at  the  same  altar — men  whom  would  be 
like  brothers  under  different  circumstances- 
meeting  each  other  in  deadly  strife;  in  the 
most  savage  manner  hastening  to  destroy 
each  other,  and  all  without  animosity,  save 


Page    n  i  n  e  t  y  -  e  i  g  h  t 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

in  the  frenzy  of  battle;  and  when  the  carnage 
is  complete — the  strife  ended — taking  each 
other  by  the  hand,  and  in  a  spirit  of  kindness 
and  sympathy  rendering  every  aid  in  their 
power  to  heal,  soothe,  and  comfort  the  unfor 
tunate  victims  of  their  deadly  work.  But 
still  more  is  to  be  said  in  regard  to  this  strife. 
What  but  a  disagreement  between  a  pas 
sionate  and  austere  mother  and  her  perverse 
daughter,  the  latter  having  left  the  old  home 
stead  and  taken  a  house  to  herself — both  for 
getting  the  ties  of  consanguinity  which  should 
have  bound  them  in  love  and  harmony  ever 
more. 

On  the  13th  the  "Ohio"  returned  to  San- 
dusky  and  found  the  squadron  absent.  Mr. 
Dobbins  felt  certain  a  battle  had  taken  place, 
and,  of  course,  was  anxious  to  know  the  re 
sult,  as  also  how  to  shape  his  future  course. 
Soon  a  couple  of  boats  were  discovered  in 
shore  and  he  gave  chase.  He  succeeded  in 
cutting  one  off,  which  proved  to  be  an  Ameri 
can,  and  from  the  men  on  board  learned  that 
there  had  been  a  battle,  but  no  details,  other 


Page    ninety-nine 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


than  that  the  Americans  were  supposed  to  be 
victorious,  as  all  the  vessels  were  taken  into 
Put-in-Bay.  Mr.  Dobbins  immediately  bore 
up  for  that  place,  where  he  found  the  squadron 
at  anchor  with  their  prizes.  The  arrival  of 
the  "Ohio"  with  fresh  supplies  was  a  God 
send  to  the  sick  and  wounded.  Soon  followed 
the  arrival  of  a  boat  from  Cleveland  and 
another  from  Sandusky,  with  vegetables  and 
fresh  meat,  adding  much  to  the  comfort  of 
the  afflicted,  as  also  to  the  able-bodied.  The 
wounded  were  still  on  board  their  respective 
vessels;  and  Commodore  Barclay  was  made 
as  comfortable  on  board  the  "Detroit"  as  cir 
cumstances  would  permit.  It  being  neces 
sary  to  dispose  of  the  prisoners,  all  the  rank 
and  file,  so  to  speak,  including  some  of  the 
officers,  able  to  travel,  were  immediately  dis 
patched  to  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  under  the,  au 
spices  of  General  Harrison.  In  the  meantime 
the  "Lawrence"  was  being  so  far  repaired  as 
to  be  able  to  convey  the  badly  wounded  of 
both  squadrons  to  Erie,  and  where  she  safely 
arrived  on  the  23d,  under  the  command  of 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


Lieutenant  John  L.  Yarnall,  himself  wounded. 
With  what  joy  the  people  espied  the  gallant 
craft  as  she  rounded  the  peninsula  in  her  ap 
proach  to  the  harbor !  She  that  had  gone  out 
staunch  and  bold  was  now  returning  a  cripple, 
but  victorious — freighted  with  the  wounded 
of  both  squadrons.  Like  the  wounded  war 
rior  returning  to  his  peaceful  home,  she  was 
welcomed  with  tears  and  smiles.  As  soon  as 
she  was  anchored  the  unfortunates  were  con 
veyed  on  shore  in  boats,  and  every  attention 
given  by  the  citizens  to  make  them  as  com 
fortable  as  possible — friend  and  foe  alike. 
The  "Lawrence"  was  immediately  got  over 
the  bar  and  moored  in  Misery  Bay,  where 
she  was  sufficiently  repaired  to  keep  her  from 
sinking  for  the  time. 

What  food  for  reflection!  But  one  short 
month  had  passed  since  the  gallant  young 
commander  had  sailed  with  his  hastily  gotten 
up  squadron — had  met  and  conquered  the 
enemy;  and  his  now  maimed  and  battered 
flagship  was  returning  for  the  first  time 
freighted  with  the  unfortunate  victims  of  the 


Page    one    hundred    and    one 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

deadly  strife.  What  a  contrast!  But  a  few 
days  since  these  brave  fellows  were  hurling 
the  bolts  of  destruction  at  each  other — now 
they  were  quietly  resting  side  by  side  on 
board  the  "Lawrence/'  exchanging  kindness 
and  sympathy  with  each  other. 

We  will  now  give  some  comments  upon  the 
battle,  and,  in  doing  so,  will  be  as  brief  as 
possible — relying  upon  impartial  testimony 
fully  corroborated  by  circumstances. 


XIII  . 

HORTLY  after  the  battle,  unfortunate 
ly,  a  spirit  of  crimination  and  recrimi 
nation  sprang  up  among  the  officers  in 
regard  to  the  conduct  of  Elliott,  with  his  ship 
"Niagara,"  during  the  battle,  and  finally  cul 
minated  in  a  bitter  feud.  It  was  found  several 
years  afterwards  that  it  would  result  in  a  duel 
between  Perry  and  Elliott  had  not  the  former 


Page    o  r.  e    h  u  n  •!  re  d    n  n  d     t  \v  o 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


been  ordered  to  sea  in  command  of  a  special 
expedition  to  Venezuela,  constituted  of  the 
sloop  of  war,  "John  Adams,"  and  schooner 
"Nonesuch,"  and  died  ere  his  return  to  the 
United  States. 

In  the  first  instance,  the  line,  with  the 
"Niagara"  in  the  van,  was  changed  for  mani 
fest  reasons,  and  without  the  slightest  diffi 
culty  or  delay.  Much  stress  has  been  placed 
upon  this  evolution  by  some  of  the  friends  of 
Elliott,  without  much  reason,  as  we  believe, 
the  vessels  being  a  long  distance  from  the 
enemy  at  the  time. 

When  the  "Lawrence"  was  first  brought 
by  the  wind  to  try  the  range  of  her  carronades 
upon  the  enemy,  the  shot  of  which  was  found 
to  fall  short,  the  "Niagara"  was  in  her  alloted 
position;  and  when  the  order  was  given, 
"Engage  as  you  come  up,  each  vessel  against 
her  opponent,"  and  the  "Lawrence"  again 
bore  up  to  shorten  the  distance,  the  "Niagara" 
did  not  follow,  though  Elliott  had  ordered  the 
"Caledonia"  out  of  her  place  to  make  room  for 
the  "Niagara"  to  close  up  with  the  "Law- 


n  c     h  u  ;i  d  r  e  d     :i  n  d     t  h  r  e  e 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


rence"  within  the  prescribed  distance,  viz: 
"half  cable's-length,"  but  kept  her  wind- 
using  only  her  two  long  12-pounders,  having 
shifted  the  port  gun  over  to  the  starboard 
side,  occasionally  using  a  division  of  her  car- 
ronades,  but  without  effect,  as  the  shot  fell 
short.  I  would  ask,  was  this  not  breaking  the 
line?  The  "Lawrence"  was  the  commanding 
and  leading  ship,  and  it  was  the  duty  of  the 
"Niagara"  to  follow  her  and  engage  the 
"Queen  Charlotte,"  her  opponent.  The  ex 
cuse  that  there  was  "little  or  no  wind,"  is 
inadmissable ;  if  there  was  wind  enough  for 
the  "Lawrence"  to  close,  there  certainly  was 
enough  for  the  "Niagara"  to  follow.  The 
"Caledonia"  on  the  other  hand,  when  ordered 
to  "bear  up  for  the  "Niagara"  to  pass,"  kept 
on  down  in  company  with  the  "Lawrence" 
and  engaged  at  close  quarters.  The  "Scor 
pion"  and  "Ariel"  also  bore  up  with  the 
"Lawrence"  and  kept  their  stations  on  the 
weather-bow  of  that  vessel.  The  "Niagara" 
had  kept  this  long-shot  distance  for  some  two 
hours,  while  the  "Lawrence"  was  closely  en- 


P  a  K  c    o  ii  e     h  n  n  ri  r  »•  t3     and     f  o 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

gaged  with  the  three  heaviest  vessels  of  the 
enemy  during  the  same  time.  As  before 
stated,  the  line  of  the  enemy  was  formed  with 
the  schooner  "Chippewa"  in  the  van,  then 
"Detroit,"  "Hunter,"  "Queen  Charlotte," 
"Lady  Provost,"  and  "Little  Belt,"  in  line  as 
named.  The  "Lawrence"  to  meet  the  "De 
troit,"  "Caledonia"  to  meet  the  "Hunter," 
"Niagara"  to  meet  the  "Queen  Charlotte," 
the  "Somers"  and  other  gunboats  to  engage 
the  "Lady  Provost"  and  "Little  Belt." 

To  show  that  even  the  enemy  understood 
these  allotments,  as  arranged  by  Perry,  I  will 
give  an  extract  from  Commodore  Barclay's 
letter  to  Sir  George  Provost,  viz: 

"At  a  quarter  before  twelve  I  commenced 
the  action  by  a  few  long  guns;  at  a  quarter 
past  the  American  Commodore,  also  sup 
ported  by  two  schooners,  one  carrying  four 
long  12-pounders,  the  other  a  long  32  (24), 
came  close  to  action  with  the  "Detroit." 
The  other  brig  of  the  enemy — apparently 
destined  to  engage  the  "Queen  Charlotte"- 
supported  in  like  manner  by  two  schooners, 


Page     one     hundred     and     five 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


kept  so  far  to  windward  as  to  render  the 
"Queen  Charlotte's"  20  (24)  pounder  car- 
ronades  useless." 

The  "Queen  Charlotte"  retained  her  posi 
tion  abreast  of  the  "Niagara"  for  some  time, 
and  Captain  Finnis  finding  that  vessel  was 
not  disposed  to  place  herself  within  reach  of 
his  24-pound  carronades,  and  she  being  to 
windward  and  he  not  able  to  close  with  her, 
ordered  the  "Hunter"  to  bear  up  and  make 
room  for  the  "Queen  Charlotte"  to  move  up 
to  the  "Detroit"  and  open  upon  the  "Law 
rence,"  which  vessel  was  within  range.  It  is 
well  known  that  the  range  of  24-pound  car 
ronades  and  that  of  32 's  is  very  near  the  same, 
the  only  difference  being  the  weight  of  metal 
thrown.  Thus,  if  the  carronades  of  the  ' 'Queen 
Charlotte"  would  not  reach  the  "Niagara," 
those  of  that  vessel  would  not  reach  the 
"Queen  Charlotte,"  though  it  is  claimed 
Elliott  tried  an  occasional  division  to  get  the 
range.  It  is  claimed  by  some  officers  of  ex 
perience  that  Elliott  might  have  excused  him 
self,  to  some  extent,  by  claiming  that  Perry 


Page    one    hundred    ii  n  d     six 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


was  impetuous  in  rushing  into  close  action 
with  only  a  portion  of  his  force  available.  In 
fact,  it  was  stated  by  skillful  officers  that 
"no  commander  ever  went  into  battle  in 
worse  shape  and  came  out  of  it  better" — that 
'Terry  should  have  kept  off  at  a  distance 
until  all  his  vessels  were  up.  and  then  in  a 
compact  line  have  borne  up  and  engaged  at 
close  quarters" — that  "he  should  have  taken 
pattern  by  his  adversary,  who,  having  seen  ser 
vice  in  squadron  engagements,  had  his  line 
in  compact  order."  However,  Perry,  like  all 
young  warriors  of  the  right  mettle,  became 
impatient  when  the  shot  of  the  enemy  began 
to  tell  upon  his  vessel.  This,  however,  does 
not  exculpate  Elliott  for  remaining  at  a  dis 
tance  and  allowing  the  "Lawrence"  to  be  cut 
to  pieces  by  an  overwhelming  force  without 
bearing  down  to  her  assistance. 

The  gunboats  lagging  astern  may  be  deemed 
by  some  as  dilatory.  It  is  well  known  to  all 
nautical  men  that  f  ore-and-af  ters  have  not  the 
advantage  of  square-rigged  vessels  in  light 
winds,  as  the  latter  have  their  heavy  sails 


Page    one    hundred    and    seven 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

aloft,  besides  have  more  light  canvas.  The 
"Scorpion"  and  "Ariel"  were  fast  sailors,  is 
the  reason  they  were  enabled  to  keep  up  with 
the  larger  vessels.  For  instance,  the  "Trippe," 
the  last  vessel  in  the  line,  although  quite  a 
good  sailor  in  a  strong  breeze,  could  not  keep 
her  place,  much  to  the  chagrin  of  her  gallant 
young  commander,  Lieutenant  Holdup;  but 
as  soon  as  the  breeze  sprung  up  passed  several 
of  the  others,  and  was  the  first  of  the  lagging 
gunboats  to  close  with  the  enemy. 

The  next  matter  we  will  take  up  is,  how 
the  "Niagara"  obtained  the  position  she  occu 
pied  when  Perry  boarded  her,  viz:  on  the 
weather-bow  of  the  "Lawrence,"  distant  from 
fifty  yards  to  half  a  mile,  according  to  the 
conflicting  testimony  given  before  the  Court 
of  Inquiry  at  New  York  in  April,  1815.  The 
cause  assigned  by  Elliott  for  passing  to  wind 
ward  of  the  "Lawrence"  is,  that  he  "was  en 
deavoring  to  reach  the  head  of  the  enemy's 
line  and  their  large  vessels,  a  breeze  springing 
up  at  the  time  and  the  enemy  filing  away  to 
shoot  ahead."  We  will  now  have  to  resort 


Page    one    hundred    and    eight 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

to  "cause  and  effect"  in  this  argument.  We 
will  ask  the  question,  why  did  she  not  go  to 
leeward  of  the  "Lawrence"  and  endeavor  to 
draw  the  fire  of  the  enemy  from  that  over 
powered  vessel,  as  also  to  be  within  canister 
range  with  her  carronades?  The  answer  is 
given  above,  viz:  that  "it  was  necessary  to  go 
to  windward  in  order  to  reach  the  head  of  the 
enemy's  line,"  &c.  The  wind  at  this  time 
was  from  southeast,  but  still  quite  light,  the 
vessels  all  heading  to  the  southward  and 
westward.  The  enemy's  vessels  being  much 
cut  up  aloft,  would  naturally  not  be  very  close 
to  the  wind;  and  the  "Lawrence"  being  dis 
abled,  with  her  sails  and  rigging  all  in  shreds, 
would  be  in  poor  trim  for  sailing  by  the  wind, 
and  was  rather  drifting  with  it; thus,  the  angle 
between  her  and  the  head  of  the  enemy's  line 
would  be  sharpening  instead  of  widening, 
which  latter  would  have  to  be  the  case  to  ex 
cuse  the  "Niagara"  for  going  to  windward. 
But,  furthermore,  the  "Caledonia"  passed 
the  "Lawrence"  to  leeward,  or  between  that 
vessel  and  the  enemy,  in  order  to  keep  within 


hundred    and 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

range,  though  her  armament  was  of  long  guns. 
Whereas  the  '  'Niagara' '  passed  to  windward, 
and,  of  course,  at  a  greater  distance  with  her 
carronade  battery.  This  good  reasoning 
would  determine  that  the  policy,  if  not  the 
duty,  of  Elliott  was  to  have  gone  to  leeward 
instead  of  to  windward  of  the  "Lawrence." 


XIV. 

HE  statement  in  regard  to  the  sail  the 
"Niagara"  was  under  at  the  time  Perry 
boarded  her  is  so  conflicting,  we  will 
give  the  statement  of  Benjamin  Fleming,  one 
of  her  main-topmen,  who  deceased,  but  a  few 
years  since,  and  who  gave  this  statement  to 
the  writer,  viz : 

"When  Commodore  Perry  came  on  board 
(I  give  his  own  language,  as  near  as  possible) 
we  were  under  topsails,  fore  and  aft  mainsail, 
and  jib;  the  top-gallant-sails  and  mainsail 
furled,  and  foresail  hauled  up.  The  main  top- 


Page    one     h  ;;  n  d  r  c  \\     a  n  d     t  e 


*-  '  • 


RAISING  COMMODORE  PERRY'S  FLAGSHIP  "NIAGARA,"  IN  MISERY  BAY, 
ERIE,  PA.,  MARCH,  1913. 


VIEW  OK  FLAGSHIP  "NIAGARA,"  SHOWING  GUN  PpRts  IN  'FOREGROUND. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

sail,  I  think,  was  not  aback  at  this  time,  but 
it  had  been  most  of  the  time  during  the  action. 
He  came  on  board  by  the  weather  (port)  gang 
way,  and  was  met  by  Captain  Elliott;  they 
shook  hands  and  had  some  conversation,  which 
I  could  not  hear  from  the  top.  Directly 
Captain  Elliott  went  over  the  side  into  the 
same  boat  Commodore  Perry  came  in,  shoved 
off,  and  pulled  for  the  small  vessels  astern. 
Some  little  time  after,  and  when  the  gunboats 
had  got  pretty  well  up,  and  a  breeze  springing 
up,  Commodore  Perry  set  the  signal  for 
"close  action,"  and  immediately  gave  the 
order  to  "make  sail" — "loose  top-gallant- 
sails,  board  fore-tack,  haul  in  the  weather 
braces,  put  the  helm  up,  and  keep  the  brig 
off."  I  helped  to  loose  the  main  top-gallant- 
sail  myself.  We  bore  up,  gradually,  at  first, 
with  the  wind  on  our  quarter.  Just  before 
we  got  abreast  of  the  "Detroit,"  to  the  best 
of  my  memory,  we  were  before  the  wind,  when 
we  jibed  the  fore  and  aft  mainsail  and  brailed 
it  up  at  the  same  time,  settled  the  top-gallant- 
sails  upon  the  caps,  hauled  the  foresail  up, 


Page    one    hundred    and    eleven 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

and  at  the  same  time  fired  a  broadside  into  the 
1  'Detroit"  and  "Queen  Charlotte"  as  they  lay 
foul  of  each  other,  and  our  larboard  guns  into 
the  "Lady  Provost"  and  another  schooner; 
then  coming  by  the  wind  on  the  starboard 
tack,  with  the  main-topsail  to  the  mast, 
under  the  lee  of  the  "Detroit"  and  "Queen 
Charlotte,"  kept  up  a  heavy  fire  until  they 
struck,  which  could  not  have  been  more  than 
fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  after  we  passed 
their  line;  the  "Caledonia"  and  one  or  two 
of  the  gunboats  followed  us." 

It  has  been  conceded  that  the  British  ves 
sels  were  gallantly  fought  though  laboring 
under  several  great  disadvantages;  the  two 
most  important  of  which  were  the  loss  of  the 
services  of  both  the  first  and  second  command 
ing  officers,  Commodore  Barclay  being  severe 
ly,  and  Captain  Finnis  mortally  wrounded; 
as  also  the  executive  officers  of  both  ships, 
Lieutenant  Garland,  of  the  '  'Detroit" 
mortally  and  Lieutenant  Stokes,  of  the 
"Queen  Charlotte,"  severely  wounded — 
both  regulars — leaving  the  command  of 


Pageone    hundred    and    twelve 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


the  "Detroit"  to  Second  Lieutenant 
Inglis,  and  the  "Queen  Charlotte"  to  Second 
Lieutenant  Irvine,  a  provincial.  Then  the 
American  squadron  had  the  weather  gauge. 
Their  last  evident  manoeuvre  was  well  con 
ceived,  and  could  they  have  carried  it  out  the 
battle  would,  at  least,  have  been  prolonged. 
But  the  bold,  sudden  and  daring  dash  of  Perry 
with  the  "Niagara"  completely  frustrated 
and  confused  them.  The  manoeuvre  was  as 
follows,  viz: 

When  they  noticed  the  movements  of  the 
"Niagara" — that  Perry  was  determined  to 
break  through  their  line,  the  "Queen  Char 
lotte"  was  to  bear  up,  pass  to  leeward  of  the 
"Detroit,"  and  meet  the  "Niagara"  broad 
side  on  as  she  passed,  the  "Detroit"  to  follow. 
Then  as  the  "Niagara"  and  "Queen  Char 
lotte"  passed  down  before  the  wind,  exchang 
ing  fires  at  pistol-shot-range,  the  "Detroit" 
to  haul  up,  shoot  athwart  the  stern  of  the 
"Niagara"  and  give  her  a  raking  fire  from  her 
starboard  guns;  and  taking  position  upon  her 
quarter,  keep  up  this  raking  fire  upon  the 


Page    one    hundred    and    thirtee 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

"Niagara"  while  that  vessel  was  engaged  with 
the  "Queen  Charlotte" — a  vessel  of  equal 
force — the  three  going  off  before  the  wind  and 
separating  from  the  other  vessels.  As  before 
said,  this  manoeuvre  was  frustrated  by 
Perry's  sudden  and  daring  dash.  The  "Queen 
Charlotte"  did  not  bear  up  in  time  to  keep 
from  being  becalmed  by  the  sails  of  the  "De 
troit,"  as  that  vessel  by  bearing  up  in  haste 
to  prevent  being  raked  by  the  "Niagara,"  fell 
athwart  the  bow  of  the  "Queen  Charlotte," 
and  fouled  with  her.  As  showing  their  in 
tention,  I  will  give  a  short  extract  from  the 
letter  of  Lieut.  Inglis  of  the  "Detroit,"  which 
accompanied  Com.  Barclay's  report  to  Sir 
George  Provost. 

"H.  M.  Late  Ship  "Detroit," 
Sept.  10th,  1813. 

*  *  "SiR: — After  you  were  wounded,  the 
enemy's  second  brig,  at  that  time  on  our 
weather  beam,  shortly  took  a  position  on  our 
weather  bow  to  rake  us;  to  prevent  which,  in 
attempting  to  wear  to  get  our  starboard  broad 
side  to  bear  upon  her,  a  number  of  our  guns 
on  the  larboard  side  being  at  this  time  dis- 


Page    one    hundred    and    fourteen 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

abled,  we  fell  on  board  the  ' 'Queen  Charlotte," 
at  that  time  running  up  to  leeward  of  us.  In 
this  situation  the  two  ships  remained  for 
some  time.  *  *  * 

"I  have  the  honor  to  be,  &c., 

"GEORGE  INGLIS." 

We  will  give  still  further  extracts  from  the 
report  of  Commodore  Barclay,  giving  the 
situation  of  matters  at  this  critical  time  from 
his  standpoint,  viz : 

*  *  *  "The  action  continued  with 
great  fury  until  half  past  two  P.  M.,  when  I 
perceived  my  opponent  drop  astern,  and  a 
boat  passing  from  him  to  the  "Niagara," 
(which  vessel  was  at  this  time  perfectly  fresh.) 
The  American  commodore  seeing  that,  as  yet, 
the  day  was  against  him,  (his  vessel  having 
struck  soon  after  he  left  her)  and  also  the 
very  defenseless  state  of  the  "Detroit,"  which 
ship  was  now  a  perfect  wreck,  principally  from 
the  raking  fire  of  the  gun  boats  *  *  Made 
a  noble,  and  alas!  too  successful,  an  effort 
to  regain  it,  for  he  bore  up,  and,  supported 


Page    one    hundred    and    fifteen 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

by  his  smaller  vessels,   passed  within  pistol 

shot,  and  took  a  raking  position  on  our  bow." 

*     *     * 

While  giving  these  extracts  we  will  also 
refer  to  the  report  of  the  '  'Naval  Court  Mar 
tial,  convened  on  board  His  Majesty's  ship 
''Gladiator,"  at  Portsmouth,  to  inquire  into 
the  conduct  of  Commodore  Barclay  and  his 
remaining  officers  in  regard  to  the  surrender 
of  the  British  squadron  on  Lake  Erie,  Sep 
tember  10th,  1813."  Some  of  the  statements 
made  in  it  are  not  borne  out  by  facts,  viz : 

'  'The  American  force  was  double  the  amount 
of  his  (Barclay's)  in  number  of  ships  and  guns, 
and  there  was  no  comparison  in  respect  to  the 
quality  of  the  seamen." 

We  will  give  the  figures  and  let  them  speak 
the  facts : 


AMERICAN  SQUADRON. 

BRITISH 

SQUADRON. 

"Lawrence"  .  .  . 

.  .260  tons,  20  guns 

"Detroit"  

.300t 

ons,  19  j 

"Niagara"  .  .  . 

.  .  260      "     20     " 

"Queen  Charlotte" 

.260 

"     17 

"Caledonia"  .  . 

.  .    85      "       4     " 

"Lady  Provost".  .  . 

.    96 

"     13 

"Ariel"  

.  .    60 

3      " 

Brig  "Hunter"    .  . 

.    75 

"     10 

"Scorpion"   .  .  . 

.    60 

2     " 

"Little  Belt"  

.    60 

3 

"Somers"  

.  .    65 

2     " 

"Chippewa"  

.    35 

"       1 

"Trippe"     .  .  . 

.    50 

1      " 



— 

"Porcupine"  .  . 

.  .    50 

1      " 

Tonnage  

.826 

"     63 

"Tigress"  

.  .    50 

1      " 

6  vessels. 

Which  shows  9  guns  in  favor  of  the 

Tonnage 840       "     54      "         British  squadron,  and  14  tons  in  favor 

9  vessels.  of  the  American  squadron. 


P  a  g  e  •  o  n  e    hundred    a 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

It  is  well  known  to  be  better  to  have  a  bat 
tery  concentrated  on  board  of  one  heavy  ves 
sel  than  in  several  small  ones;  and  the  British 
had  three  formidable  vessels,  as  the  "Lady 
Provost"  was  classed  as  a  regular  man-of-war 
schooner,  mounting  thirteen  guns,  most  of 
which  were  of  heavy  caliber.  She  would 
have  been  a  match  for  any  three  of  the  Ameri 
can  vessels,  excepting  the  "Lawrence"  and 
"Niagara." 

As  for  crews,  the  force  of  each  squadron 
was  about  equal,  viz:  500,  all  told;  though  the 
British  had  the  advantage,  as  116  in  the  Amer 
ican  squadron  were  on  the  sick  list  on  the  day 
of  the  battle,  seamen  suffering  the  worst,  as 
the  change  from  salt  to  fresh  water  had  a  bad 
effect  upon  them,  and  many  were  down  with 
the  bilious  fever,  &c.  Whereas,  the  British 
had  but  that  day  left  port,  and  of  course,  all 
in  good  health.  In  respect  to  the  number  of 
seamen,  say  150,  there  was  but  little  differ 
ence;  and  in  regard  to  the  balance  of  the 
crews,  the  American,  like  the  British,  were 
mostly  made  up  of  soldiers  and  landsmen. 


Page    one    hundred     a  n  <!     s  eventeen 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

There  was,  however,  one  other  great  ad 
vantage  they  had,  viz:  The  "Queen  Char 
lotte,"  "Lady  Provost,"  and  brig  "Hunter" 
were  regularly  built  war  vessels,  and  had  been 
cruising  for  several  years — but  more  particu 
larly  since  the  declaration  of  war.  During 
the  spring  and  summer  of  1813,  and  while 
Perry  was  getting  up  the  American  squadron 
they  were  constantly  cruising  off  Erie.  Thus, 
you  see,  they  must  have  been  in  complete 
condition,  and  the  crews  in  a  good  state  of 
discipline. 

In  regard  to  Elliott  leaving  the  "Niagara" 
to  bring  up  the  smaller  vessels,  then  some 
distance  astern  into  close  action,  some  of 
Elliott's  enemies  claim  that  he  was  ordered  to 
do  so  by  Perry.  This  is  evidently  error.  It 
would  be  a  matter  of  great  delicacy — to  say 
the  least  of  it — to  order  an  officer  of  nearly 
his  own  rank  from  his  ship  under  such  cir 
cumstances  to  perform  such  duty.  The  evi 
dence  of  Perry,  in  his  note  to  Elliott,  of  the 
18th  of  September,  at  Put-in-Bay  gives  un 
doubtedly  the  truth,  viz:  "Your  anticipating 


Page    one    hundred    and    eighteen 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


my  wishes  to  bring  up  the  small  vessels  into 
close  action,  thereby  contributing  largely  to 
our  victory,"  &c.,  as  also  using  the  same  lan 
guage  in  substance  in  his  report  to  the  Secre 
tary  of  the  Navy.  Again,  it  was  but  charac 
teristic  of  Perry  to  use  the  language  imputed 
to  him  by  Captain  Brevoort,  viz:  After  the 
action  and  Captain  Elliott  returned  on  board 
(the  '  'Niagara")  Captain  Perry  caught  him 
by  the  hand,  saying,  "I  owe  much  of  this  to 
you,"  &c.  This  was  the  outpouring  of  a 
generous  and  chivalrous  nature.  Perry  had 
gained  a  grand  victory,  and  he  felt  like  em 
bracing  every  one  who  had  contributed  to  the 
brilliant  achievement.  Most  certainly  the 
volunteering  to  bring  up  the  distant  smaller 
vessels  into  close  action,  and  the  prompt  man 
ner  it  was  executed,  and  their  efficient  ser 
vices  afterwards,  (Barclay  claiming  "the  rak 
ing  fire  of  the  gun  boats  to  be  terrific  on  board 
the  'Detroit,'  ")  Elliott  having  ordered  them 
to  cease  firing  on  the  smaller  vessels  and  direct 
it  at  the  "Detroit"  and  "Queen  Charlotte." 
Then,  if  from  any  implied  improper  motives 


Page    one    hundred    and    ninetee 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


he  had  not  closed  with  his  antagonist,  the 
"Queen  Charlotte,"  this  gallant  act  should  aid 
in  covering  up  the  sin  to  some  extent. 


XV. 

O  ERR  is  human,  to  forgive  is  di 
vine,"  and  that  "none  of  us  are  in 
fallible,"  should  ever  be  uppermost 
in  our  minds.  Perry,  with  all  his  nobleness 
of  character,  gallantry  and  truthfulness  of 
purpose,  erred  in  accusing  Elliott  of  cowardice 
after  mentioning  him  in  the  most  compli 
mentary  terms  in  his  report  to  the  Secretary 
of  the  Navy  and  subsequent  letters,  as  also 
in  conversations.  It  should  also  be  borne  in 
mind  that  the  previous  and  subsequent  con 
duct  of  Elliott,  on  Lake  Ontario,  and  captur 
ing  the  two  vessels  under  the  guns  of  Fort 
Erie,  as  also  on  Lake  Erie,  evinced  anything 
but  cowardice.  The  writer,  had  a  con  versa- 


o  TI  c    1;  v.  n  d  ret!     a  n  d     t  \-; 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

tion  with  a  naval  officer  of  high  rank,  (now 
deceased)  a  few  years  since,  who  said:  "It  is 
a  mistake  to  accuse  Elliott  of  being  a  coward. 
I  made  a  cruise  with  him  some  years  since,  and 
think  I  know  him  like  a  book;  cowardice  is 
the  last  sin  that  could  be  laid  at  the  door  of 
"Old  Jesse."  He  was  somewhat  egotistical 
and  austere,  yet  a  good  officer  and  thorough 
seaman.  He  was  no  coward,  I  assure  you." 
Then  as  to  the  accusation  of  treachery, 
made  by  some  of  the  accusers  of  Elliott,  we 
will  only  give  the  facts  and  circumstances,  and 
leave  the  reader  to  come  to  his  own  conclu 
sions.  In  the  first  place,  Elliott  did  not  close 
with  his  allotted  antagonist  the  "Queen  Char 
lotte,"  as  per  order  of  Perry,  and  which  was 
expected  by  not  only  every  intelligent  officer 
in  the  American  squadron,  but  also  the  Brit 
ish,  but  kept  out  of  carronade-range  until 
Perry  boarded  her — leaving  the  "Lawrence" 
to  fight  the  enemy's  heavy  vessels  almost 
single-handed.  In  the  second  place,  he  should 
have  passed  to  leeward  of  the  "Lawrence," 
or,  between  her  and  the  enemy,  when  en- 


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HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

deavoring  to  reach  the  head  of  the  enemy's 
line,  and  thereby  have  drawn  the  heavy  fire 
of  the  enemy  from  that  crippled  vessel. 
Then,  on  seeing  that  the  " Lawrence"  was 
silenced,  and  no  signal  thrown  out  from  her, 
presumed  the  "commanding  officer  was  killed," 
intended  to  assume  command.  These  accu 
sations  are  vital  in  their  importance,  and 
should  be  well  considered. 

Immediately  after  the  battle  the  conduct 
of  Elliott  with  the  "Niagara"  became  the  gen 
eral  topic  of  conversation,  and  Elliott  criti 
cised.  Perry,  with  all  the  kindness  of  his  for 
giving  nature,  was  anxious  to  stop  this  cen 
suring  of  Elliott,  and  cautioned  the  officers  to 
silence  on  this  subject.  The  strongest  de 
fense  Elliott  had  was  the  language  of  Perry 
himself.  In  a  letter  to  Elliott  at  Put-in-Bay, 
under  date  of  September  19th,  in  answer  to 
one  from  Elliott  of  the  previous  day,  Perry 
said: 

"I  am  indignant  that  any  re 
port  should  be  in  circulation  prejudicial  to 
your  character,  as  respects  the  action  of  the 
10th  inst.  It  affords  me  pleasure  that  I  have 


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HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

it  in  my  power  to  assure  you  that  the  conduct 
of  yourself,  officers  and  crew,  was  such  as  to 
meet  my  warmest  approbation.  I  consider 
the  circumstances  of  your  volunteering  to 
bring  up  the  smaller  vessels  into  close  action 
as  contributing  largely  to  our  victory.  I  shall 
ever  believe  it  a  premeditated  plan  of  the 
enemy  to  disable  our  commanding  vessel  by 
bringing  all  their  force  to  bear  upon  her;  and 
I  am  satisfied  had  they  not  pursued  this  course 
the  engagement  would  not  have  lasted  thirty 
minutes.  I  have  no  doubt  if  the  "Charlotte" 
had  not  made  sail  to  engage  the  "Lawrence" 
the  "Niagara"  would  have  taken  her  in 
twenty  minutes. 

"Very  respectfully  yours,  &c., 

"O.  H.  PERRY." 
"Capt.  J.  D.  Elliott,  U.  S.  S.> 'Niagara.'  " 

It  was  afterwards  claimed  by  Perry  that 
these  letters  were  given  at  the  time  to  soothe 
the  wounded  feelings  of  Elliott,  but  not  to  be 
used  for  publication,  which  use  was  made  of 
them.  And  furthermore,  the  complimentary 
matter  in  the  letters  was  afterwards  with 
drawn,  and  the  conduct  of  Elliott  threatened 
to  be  the  subject  of  a  court-martial,  the  charges 


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HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

preferred  by  Perry.  We  will  also  give  some 
extracts  from  the  lengthy  letter  of  the  officers 
of  the  '  'Niagara"  to  the  Secretary  of  the 
Navy — giving  a  detailed  account  of  the  bat 
tle  from  their  standpoint: 

"U.  S.  S.  "NIAGARA,"  ) 
13th  October,  1813.  V 
"Ax  ANCHOR  OFF  DETROIT.  I 
"RKSPKCTED  SIR: — We  have  with  regret 
seen  the  condensed,  and,  suffer  us  to  add,  the 
partial  statements  of  the  late  action  on  Lake 
Erie;  and,  induced  by  motives  of  the  warmest 
admiration  and  great  respect  for  our  com 
mander,  Captain  J.  D.  Elliott,  we  take  the 
liberty  of  laying  before  you  our  combined  ob 
servations  on  the  above  late  action,  and  know 
ing,  as  we  do,  your  power  of  discrimination 
and  impartiality  of  judgment,  we  commit 
it  to  you  with  full  confidence  of  its  universal 
confidence  and  consideration.  (Here  is  given 
a  detailed  account  of  the  action,  which,  as  said 
before,  is  given  from  their  standpoint,  but  of 
too  great  a  length  for  insertion.)  *  *~  * 
We  are  unwilling  to  quit  the  subject  without 
expressing  our  estimation  of  our  noble  com 
mander.  We  feel  it  our  duty  to  him  and  to 
ourselves  to  express  our  opinion  of  his  cori- 


P  a  x  e  one  hundred  and  twenty- I"  our 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

duct  during  the  action,  which  was  manifested 
by  his  cool,  brave  and  judicious  deportment, 
and  are  firmly  of  the  opinion  that  his  valor 
could  not  be  surpassed  by  any;  and  that  in 
him  the  American  flag  has  a  most  zealous, 
skillful,  and  heroic  defender.  We  have  here 
endeavored,  sir,  to  give  you  a  succinct  and 
minute  account  of  the  action  from  the  com 
mencement  to  the  close;  in  doing  this  we 
have  been  actuated  by  unprejudiced  love  and 
respect  for  Captain  Elliott. 
4  We  have  the  honor  to  be,  sir, 

"Your  obedient  servants,  &c., 

'-'J.  E.  SMITH,  Lieutenant, 
"H.  MAGRATH,  Purser, 
"J.  J.  EDWARDS,  Lieutenant, 
"NELSON  WEBSTER,  A.  M., 
"A.  B.  BREVOORT,  Capt.  2d 
Reg't  U.  S.  Infantry. 

"Hon.   Wm.  Jones,  Secy  of  the  Navy,  Wash 
ington  City,  D.  C." 

These  officers  were  honorable,  high-minded, 
and  patriotic  men;  therefore,  their  statements 
should  not,  by  any  means,  be  ignored;  and  if 
treachery  or  cowardice  was  manifested  by 


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HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


their  commander,  if  for  nothing  else,  for  their 
own  reputations,  it  is  to  be  presumed,  they 
would  not  have  sanctioned  or  endeavored  to 
cover  up  such  manifestations  of  conduct. 
Some  little  excuse  for  these  statements  may 
be  given  thus  wise,  viz:  To  treat  this  grave 
question  with  a  lighter  hand  and  to  some 
extent  illustrate  in  accord  with  human  nature, 
we  will  state  that  it  is  proverbial  with  the 
officer,  as  well  as  Jack,  to  regard  the  reputation 
of  his  ship,  when  assailed,  with  the  same  feel 
ing,  and  defend  her  with  the  same  spirit,  he 
would  his  wife.  But  we  will  take  leave  of 
this  unfortunate  controversy  and  revert  to 
more  pleasant  and  interesting  incidents  of 
the  action.  Had  all  been  like  the  noble  and 
generous  Perry,  this  bad  feeling  would  have 
been  strangled  in  its  infancy,  and  never  have 
gone  out  to  the  public. 


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HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 
XVI. 

O  SHOW    how    raged    the    battle    on 
board  the   ''Lawrence,"   we  will  give 
some  statements  of  Dr.  Parsons,  her 
surgeon : 

"The  wounded  began  to  come  down  be 
fore  the  "Lawrence"  opened  her  battery,  and, 
for  one,  I  felt  impatient  at  the  delay.  In 
proper  time,  however,  the  war-dogs  were  let 
loose  from  their  lash,  and  it  seemed  as  though 
heaven  and  earth  were  at  logger-heads.  For 
more  than  two  hours  little  could  be  heard  but 
the  deafening  thunders  of  our  own  broad 
sides,  the  crash  of  balls  dashing  through  our 
timbers,  and  the  shrieks  of  the  wounded. 
These  were  brought  down  faster  than  I  could 
attend  to  them,  other  than  to  stay  the  bleed 
ing,  or  support  the  shattered  limbs  with 
splints,  and  pass  them  forward  upon  the 
berth-deck.  Two  or  three  were  killed  near 
me  after  being  wounded.  Among  those  early 
brought  down  was  Lieut.  Brooks,  son  of  the 
late  Gov.  Brooks  of  Massachusetts,  a  most 
accomplished  gentleman  and  officer,  and  re 
nowned  for  personal  beauty.  A  cannon-ball 
hit  him  in  the  hip;  he  knew  his  doom,  and 


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HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

inquired  how  long  he  could  live;  I  told  him 
a  few  hours.  He  inquired  two  or  three  times 
how  the  day  was  going,  and  expressed  a  hope 
that  the  Commodore  would  be  saved.  But 
new  comers  from  deck  brought  dismal  reports, 
until  finally  it  was  announced  that  we  had 
struck.  In  the  lamentations  of  despair  among 
the  wounded  I  lost  sight  of  poor  Brooks  for  a 
few  minutes;  but  when  the  electrifying  cry 
was  heard  that  the  enemy's  two  ships  had 
struck,  I  rushed  on  deck  to  see  if  it  was  true, 
and  then  to  poor  Brooks  to  cheer  him,  but  he 
was  no  more." 

"When  the  battle  had  raged  an  hour  and  a 
half,  I  heard  a  call  for  me  at  the  small  sky 
light,  and  stepping  forward,  saw  it  was  the 
Commodore,  whose  countenance  was  as  calm 
and  placid  as  if  on  ordinary  duty.  'Doctor,' 
said  he,  'send  me  one  of  your  men,' — meaning 
one  of  the  six  that  were  to  assist  me, — which 
was  done  instantly.  In  five  minutes  the  call 
was  repeated  and  obeyed,  and  at  the  seventh 
call,  I  told  him  he  had  them  all.  He  then 
asked  if  any  one  could  pull  a  rope,  when  two 
or  three  crawled  upon  deck  and  assisted  at  the 
last  guns.  When  the  battle  was  raging  most 
severely,  Midshipman  Laub  came  down  with 
his  arm  badly  fractured;  I  applied  a  splint, 


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HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


and  requested  him  to  go  forward  and  lie 
down;  as  he  was  leaving  me,  and  while  my 
hand  was  upon  him,  a  cannon-ball  struck  him 
in  the  side,  dashing  him  against  the  other 
side  of  the  room,  which  instantly  terminated 
his  sufferings.  Charles  Pohig,  a  Narragan- 
sett  Indian,  who  was  badly  wounded,  suffered 
in  like  manner. 

*  'There  were  some  incidents,  less  painful  to 
witness.  Lieut.  Yarnell  had  his  scalp  badly 
torn,  and  came  below  with  the  blood  stream 
ing  over  his  face ;  some  lint  was  hastily  applied 
and  confined  with  a  bandanna,  with  instruc 
tions  to  report  for  further  dressing  after  bat 
tle.  He  at  once  returned  upon  deck.  The 
hammocks  stowed  on  deck  had  been  knocked 
to  pieces  with  the  cannon-balls,  and  let  loose 
the  contents  of  some  mattresses  filled  with 
flag-heads  or  cattails,  which  floated  in  the 
air  like  feathers.  These  gathered  upon  Yar- 
nell's  blood-covered  head,  and  made  it  re 
semble  that  of  a  huge  owl. 

1  'When  the  smoke  cleared  away  after  the 
battle  was  over,  the  two  fleets  were  found 
completely  mingled.  Our  own  shattered  ship, 
lying  to  the  windward  of  them,  was  once  more 
allowed  to  hoist  her  colors,  which  was  cheered 
by  the  few  feeble  voices  on  board — making  a 


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HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


melancholy  sound  to  the  boisterous  cheers 
that  preceded  the  battle,  when  Perry's  fight 
ing  flag,  'Don't  give  up  the  Ship,'  was  first 
mastheaded." 

It  has  been  erroneously  recorded  by  some 
authors  that  Perry  took  his  little  brother 
(Alexander)  with  him  when  he  left  the  "Law 
rence"  for  the  "Niagara."  This  is  error,  I 
will  give  the  language  of  Dr.  Parsons  in  re 
gard  to  it,  and  none  knew  better: 

"After  his  return  to  his  shattered  ship, 
Perry  walked  aft,  when  his  first  remark  was 
made  to  his  intimate  friend,  Purser  Hamilton, 
then  lying  wounded  on  deck,  'The  prayers  of 
my  wife  have  saved  me.'  Then  casting  his 
eyes  about,  he  inquired,  'Where  is  my  brother?' 
This  brother  was  a  young  midshipman  of  thir 
teen  years.  He  had,  during  the  battle,  acted 
as  a  sort  of  aid  to  Perry  in  running  with  orders 
to  different  parts  of  the  ship,  for  you  must 
know  that  in  the  din  and  uproar  of  battle 
orders  can  be  heard  but  a  little  distance.  We 
made  a  general  stir  to  look  the  boy  up,  not 
without  fears  that  he  had  been  knocked  over 
board,  but  he  was  soon  found  in  his  berth 
asleep,  exhausted  with  the  fatigues  and  ex- 


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HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


citement  of  the  day,  as  also  having  received 
a  severe  thump  from  a  hammock  a  cannon- 
ball  had  thrown  against  him." 

The  hand  of  an  all-wise  Providence  had 
been  held  over  the  heads  of  the  two  brothers, 
and  they  were  saved. 

The  day  of  the  battle,  as  some  of  our  officers 
were  conversing  with  the  British  on  board  the 
''Detroit,"  one  of  the  latter  asked  his  com 
rade,  'What  has  become  of  the  Indians?" 
Search  was  made  and  they  discovered  snugly 
stowed  away  in  the  cable  tier.  They  were 
brought  upon  deck,  much  alarmed.  How 
ever  were  soon  assured  they  would  not  be 
hurt,  and  then  became  quite  communicative. 
When  asked  how  they  liked  the  sport,  said, 
''No  more  come  with  one-armed  captain 
(Barclay)  in  big  canoe — shoot  big  gun  too 
much.  Gemokomon*  (American)  much  big 
fight."  This  sort  of  warfare  was  not  to  their 
tastes.  They  had  evidently  been  taken  on 
board  as  "sharp-shooters,"  to  pick  off  the 

*"Gemokomon,"  signifying  "Long-Knife,"  or  sword,  an  implement  of  war 
fare  unknown  to  them  previous  to  their  early  wars  with  the  whites.  It  is 
the  name  given  to  the  "Yankees." 


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HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

officers.  They  were  stationed  in  the  main 
top  of  the  "Detroit/'  and  when  the  bullets 
began  to  fly  aloft  thought  they  were  all  aimed 
at  them,  and  hastily  retreated  to  the  deck, 
where  they  found  it  no  better,  and  then  to 
the  hold.  They  were  sent  to  Maiden  with 
some  paroled  officers  who  had  families  there. 
The  trip  of  Perry  from  the  "Lawrence"  to 
the  "Niagara"  in  a  boat,  it  appears  to  us,  is 
not  properly  understood  or  appreciated;  or 
rather,  that  the  act  is  eulogized  instead  of  the 
motive.  "If  a  victory  is  to  be  gained  I'll  gain 
it,"  said  Perry  as  he  left  the  shattered  "Law 
rence."  Such  was  his  intention,  and  therein 
laid  the  merit.  The  passing  from  vessel  to 
vessel  had  been  frequently  done  where  squad 
rons  were  engaged,  and  had  been  done  that 
same  day;  and  furthermore,  Elliott  took  the 
same  boat,  and  twice  traversed  the  length  of 
our  line,  then  stopped  on  board  the  "Somers" 
and  took  command  of  her  in  person.  As  for 
personal  danger,  it  was  everywhere  on  that 
occasion,  and  less,  if  anything,  in  a  boat  than 
on  the  deck  of  a  vessel,  particularly  the 
"Lawrence." 


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HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 
XVI  I  . 

|HE  victory  of  the  10th  gave  us  the 
command  of  the  lake,  and  now  Harri 
son  was  about  to  push  matters  for  a 
victory  on  land.  He  had  called  upon  the 
venerable  Gov.  Shelby  of  Kentucky,  for  vol 
unteers,  and  invited  the  'Veteran  of  King's 
Mountain"  to  command  them  in  person,  to 
which  he  responded  in  the  affirmative,  though 
in  his  sixty-sixth  year.  The  patriotic  state 
of  Kentucky  was  in  a  blaze  of  enthusiasm 
when  the  Governor  issued  his  proclamation 
for  volunteers,  and  twice  the  number  required 
showed  themselves  ready  for  the  "warpath." 
Soon  he  was  on  his  winding  way  for  the  banks 
of  Lake  Erie,  at  the  head  of  3,500  mounted 
men,  with  such  men  as  Henry,  Desha,  Allen, 
Caldwell,  King,  Childs,  Trotter,  R.  M.  and 
J.  Johnson,  Adin,  Crittenden,  McDowell, 
Walker  and  Barry,  as  subordinates.  At  Fort 
Ball  (now  Tiffin)  they  got  news  of  Perry's 
victory,  which  hurried  them  on  to  Camp  Por 
tage,  and  where  they  arrived  on  the  15th. 


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HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

Harrison  had  some  friendly  Indians,  of  the 
Wyandot,  Shawneese,  Seneca  and  Delaware 
tribes,  under  their  chiefs,  as  before  named. 

The  prisoners  being  disposed  of,  the  wound 
ed  and  sick  cared  for,  every  exertion  was  now 
made  to  put  the  available  vessels  of  both 
squadrons  in  proper  condition,  and  make  the 
necessary  arrangements  for  transporting  Har 
rison's  army,  then  encamped  at  Portage  River 
and  Fort  Meigs,  to  the  Canada  shore.  The 
vessels  were  "Niagara,"  "Caledonia,"  "Som- 
ers,"  "Ohio,"  "Trippe,"  "Scorpion,"  "Ariel," 
"Tigress,"  and  "Porcupine,"  of  the  American, 
and  "Hunter,"  "Lady  Provost,"  "Little  Belt," 
and  "Chippewa,"  of  the  late  British  squad- 
dron.  Perry  made  the  "Ariel"  the  flagship, 
and  sailed  with  her  on  the  morning  of  the 
19th  for  Camp  Portage,  in  advance  of  the 
squadron,  to  counsel  with  General  Harrison. 
It  having  been  arranged  to  transport  the  army 
to  Put-in-Bay  first,  the  embarkation  com 
menced  on  the  20th  and  by  the  24th  the  army 
of  4,500  men  were  all  landed  at  Put-in-Bay, 
the  horses  to  be  left  at  Camp  Portage,  except 


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HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


the  regiment  of  Col.  R.  M.  Johnson,  which 
was  to  go  round  the  head  of  the  Lake  to  De 
troit  and  join  the  army  there,  provided  the 
place  could  be  re-captured.  Harrison  and 
staff  took  passage  in  the  " Ariel." 

On  the  passage  of  the  '  'Ariel"  to  Put-in- 
Bay,  a  little  incident  occurred  which  goes  to 
confirm  the  saying,  viz:  "A  kind  and  brave 
heart  are  apt  to  occupy  the  same  breast."  On 
board  were  a  company  of  young  Virginians, 
one  of  their  number,  who  was  but  just  recover 
ing  from  a  fever,  approached  Maj.  Cham 
bers,  with  whom  he  was  acquainted,  and  who 
was  then  conversing  with  Lieut.  Packett, 
commander  of  the  " Ariel,"  and  asked  him  in 
a  mild  and  courteous  manner  "if  it  could  be 
possible  to  obtain  a  cup  of  coffee  from  the 
cabin;  that  the  cold,  coarse  food  they  were 
confined  to  in  accordance  with  army  regula 
tions,  he  could  not  eat."  The  Major,  being 
but  slightly  acquainted  with  Perry,  asked 
Lieut.  Packett,  who  hesitated,  as  there  was 
such  a  crowd  of  officers  on  board,  and  the 
matter  was  apparently  dropped.  Perry  hap- 


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HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


pened  to  be  seated  near  by  and  overheard  the 
conversation,  and  without  saying  a  word  to 
either  party,  quietly  ordered  the  steward  to 
prepare  supper  for  the  whole  squad,  and  in  a 
short  time  they  were  all  seated  as  best  they 
could  in  the  small  cabin,  enjoying  a  warm 
meal,  with  Perry  by  their  side  attending  to 
their  wants. 

The  next  move  concluded  upon  was  to 
transport  the  army  to  an  island  called  "Mid 
dle  Sister/'  about  twenty-five  miles  from  the 
Canada  shore,  and  where  they  were  all  safely 
landed  by  the  26th.  Arrangements  for  trans 
portation  and  debarkation  being  complete, 
on  the  morning  of  the  27th,  the  weather  being 
favorable,  the  army  was  again  embarked  on 
the  vessels  and  in  boats,  the  vessels  taking 
the  boats  in  tow,  and  by  two  P.  M.  arrived 
at  the  point  of  destination,  when  the  vessels 
were  moored,  with  springs  upon  their  cables, 
one-fourth  of  a  mile  from  the  shore,  to  cover 
the  landing  of  the  troops.  The  troops  were 
successfully  landed;  not  finding  any  of  the 


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HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

enemy  in  the  neighborhood  took  up  their  line 
of  march  for  Maiden.  They  soon  heard 
General  Proctor  had  evacuated  that  post,  and 
was  in  rapid  retreat  up  the  Canadian  side  of 
the  Detroit  River,  leaving  only  a  rear  guard 
to  destroy  the  barracks,  navy  yard,  and  stores. 
The  squadron  immediately  moved  around 
into  the  river,  and  followed  the  army  as  they 
advanced.  On  the  29th  they  reached  Sand 
wich,  when  some  vessels  were  dispatched  with 
Me  Arthur's  brigade  to  take  possession  of  De 
troit.  Colonel  Johnson  having  joined  the 
army,  the  movement  was  rapid  in  pursuit  of 
the  enemy.  Perry  having  dispatched  several 
of  the  small  vessels  to  transport  stores  and 
assist  with  their  armament  if  necessary,  and 
himself  volunteered  as  aid  to  Harrison.  Then 
followed  the  battle  of  the  Thames,  and  the 
defeat  of  Proctor  and  death  of  Tecumseh. 
Harrison  and  Perry  now  returned  to  Detroit 
and  issued  a  joint  proclamation,  dated  Sand 
wich,  October  17th,  1813,  saying  to  the  people 
of  Upper  Canada,  that  "all  armed  resistance 
having  ceased,  and  the  country  in  the  quiet 


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HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

possession  of  the  Americans,  that  the  laws 
and  customs  that  existed  previous  to  the  con 
quest  were  hereby  declared  in  force,  and  the 
inhabitants  guaranteed  protection  in  person 
and  property  so  long  as  the  district  remained 
in  possession  of  the  United  States."  Harri 
son  also  issued  a  proclamation,  dated  Detroit, 
September  29th,  1813,  to  the  inhabitants  of 
Michigan,  establishing  the  laws  in  force  pre 
vious  to  the  surrender  of  Hull,  and  replacing 
the  officers.  After  the  defeat  of  Barclay  and 
Proctor,  and  the  death  of  Tecumseh,  the  In 
dians  with  the  British  army  felt  quite  humble 
and  disposed  for  peace. 


XVIII. 

|OL.  LEWIS  CASS  was  now  installed 
civil  and  military  governor  of  Michi 
gan,  with  his  brigade,  one  thousand 
strong,  as  also  to  hold  that  portion  of  Canada 
just  captured.  The  volunteers  under  Gover- 


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HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

nor  Shelby,  and  such  portions  of  the  militia 
as  were  not  needed,  were  now  disbanded. 

A  portion  of  the  squadron  were  now  pre 
pared  to  transport  the  remainder  of  the  army 
to  the  lower  end  of  the  lake,  to  assist  in  the 
operations  on  the  Niagara  frontier,  and  were 
embarked  as  soon  as  possible.  The  "Ohio," 
"Somers,"  "Scorpion,"  "Tigress,"  and  "Por 
cupine,"  were  left  under  the  supervision  of 
Colonel  Lewis  Cass  to  transport  prisoners  to 
Camp  Portage,  and  supplies  from  Cleveland. 

A  letter  awaited  the  gallant  Perry,  at  De 
troit,  from  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  couched 
in  flattering  terms,  announcing  to  him  his  pro 
motion  to  the  rank  of  Post  Captain,  and  grant 
ing  him  leave  of  absence  to  visit  his  family 
in  Rhode  Island.  Nothing  now  to  detain 
him,  Perry  took  Harrison  and  staff  on  board 
the  "Ariel"  and  sailed.  On  his  way  down, 
called  at  Put-in- Bay  and  found  Barclay  much 
improved,  and  able  to  be  moved.  Perry  now 
informed  Barclay  of  his  success  in  obtaining 
a  parole  for  him  to  return  home.  The 
wounded  Commodore,  with  his  attending 


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HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

surgeon,  was  then  taken  on  board  the  "Ariel," 
when  she  sailed  for  Erie,  the  rest  of  the  squad 
ron  having  proceeded  on  their  trip;  however, 
the  "Ariel"  being  a  fast  sailor,  arrived  at 
Erie  some  hours  in  advance  of  the  squadron. 
As  she  made  her  appearance  off  the  point  of 
the  peninsula  the  citizens  assembled  on  the 
bank  of  the  bay,  when  a  salute  was  fired,  as 
it  was  presumed  the  Commodore  was  on 
board.  Perry  and  Harrison  were  received 
with  great  enthusiasm  on  landing,  and  Perry, 
with  Colonel  Gaines,  assisted  the  invalid 
Barclay  up  the  hill  to  the  shore  quarters  of 
Perry.  In  the  evening  the  village  of  Erie  was 
in  a  blaze  of  rejoicing,  though  Perry  requested 
to  have  no  demonstrations  made  near  his 
quarters,  to  annoy  his  unfortunate  guest, 
which  was  strictly  observed,  and  which  grate 
ful  attention  Barclay  duly  appreciated.  Here 
the  intrepid  Perry  had  built. and  equipped  his 
vessels,  and  now  he  had  returned  for  the  first 
time  after  sailing  with  the  laurels  upon  his 
brow.  His  ambition  had  been  satisfied — he 
had  "met  the  enemy  and  made  them  his." 


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HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


XIX. 

jFTER  making  a  hasty  visit  to  view  the 
shattered  remains  of  his  gallant  old 
"flagship"  in  Misery  Bay,  and  mem 
ory  taking  him  back  to  the  stirring  scenes  of 
the  10th — the  still  blood-stained  deck  of  his 
shattered  ship,  and  he,  himself,  escaping  un 
scathed  amid  the  storm  and  destruction,  he 
raised  his  hands  and  gave  thanks  to  the  Pre 
server  of  all  things.  They  sailed  for  Buffalo 
the  next  day,  Perry  bidding  a  final  adieu  to 
Erie,  as  he  never  returned.  On  the  24th  the 
squadron  arrived  safe  at  Buffalo,  where  the 
troops  were  landed.  Perry  now,  in  an  official 
letter,  turned  over  the  command  on  the  Upper 
Lakes  to  Elliott,  and  then  pursued  his  journey 
east,  amid  a  blaze  of  rejoicing,  to  his  home  in 
Rhode  Island. 

The  prizes  "Detroit"  and  "Queen  Char 
lotte"  being  badly  cut  up,  it  was  deemed  in 
expedient  to  try  and  remove  them  to  Erie,  as 
the  season  of  navigation  was  far  advanced, 
and  storms  prevalent,  consequently  prepara- 


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HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

tions  were  made  to  winter  them  at  Put-in- 
Bay,  with  a  force  to  protect  them  from  ma 
rauding  parties  from  the  Canada  shore,  when 
the  ice  would  make.  Mr.  Champlin,  in 
command  of  the  ' 'Tigress,"  was  sent  to  Put 
in-Bay  to  assume  command,  and  where  he 
arrived  on  the  25th  of  December.  He  imme 
diately  made  the  necessary  arrangements  for 
defense,  Col.  Cass  having  sent  200  soldiers 
from  Detroit  to  assist.  Lieut.  John  Packett 
was  sent  up  late  in  the  winter,  and  superseded 
Champlin  in  command. 

The  season  of  storms  being  at  hand,  Elliott 
ordered  a  portion  of  the  squadron  to  Erie,  the 
balance  to  remain  at  the  lower  end  of  the  lake. 
The  "Ariel"  and  "Chippewa"  parted  their 
cables  and  went  ashore  at  Buffalo,  where  they 
went  to  pieces.  The  "Trippe"  and  "Little 
Belt"  were  sent  to  Black  Rock  to  winter, 
and  were  burnt  by  the  British  when  they 
invaded  Black  Rock  and  Buffalo  that  winter. 
As  soon  as  the  "Ohio"  and  "Somers"  had  com 
pleted  their  work  under  Col.  Cass  the  "Som- 
ers"  and  others  went  into  winter  quarters  at 


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HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


Put-in-Bay,  and  the  "Ohio"  returned  to  Erie, 
where  she  arrived  late  in  December.  The 
vessels  at  Erie  were  all  moored  in  Misery  Bay, 
and  preparations  made  for  defense,  as  it  was 
reported  the  British,  exasperated  at  their  late 
defeats,  were  determined  to  cross  as  soon  as 
the  ice  made  and  destroy  the  shipping  and 
village.  However,  they  never  made  the  at 
tempt,  and  if  they  had,  would  have  found 
Elliott  with  the  vessels  and  Gen.  Mead  on 
land  with  4,000  troops,  ready  to  receive  them. 


XX. 

|UCH  has  been  said  by  some  authors 
about  anarchy  and  insubordination  ex 
isting  at  the  Erie  station  during  the 
winter  of  1813-14.  This  is  erroneous.  There 
was  some  little  clashing  between  Perry  and 
Elliott  adherents,  but  not  in  the  slightest  de 
gree  interfering  with  subordination. 

As   the   spring  opened,   things  were   more 


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HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

quiet;  the  danger  of  the  enemy  crossing  upon 
the  ice  having  now  passed  away.  Elliott,  in 
order  to  obtain  information  of  the  enemy's 
movements  upon  the  Canada  shore,  as  soon 
as  the  ice  in  the  lake  would  permit,  ordered 
the  "Ohio,"  under  the  command  of  Mr.  Dob 
bins,  to  cruise  between  Long  Point  and  Erie, 
to  intercept  their  supplies  moving  west  by 
water.  In  the  discharge  of  this  duty  Mr. 
Dobbins  frequently  landed  spies  upon  the 
Canada  shore,  and  arranged  to  take  them  off 
at  certain  times.  The  adventures  of  one  of 
these  spies  were  truly  marvelous.  The  name 
is  not  at  hand,  but  think  it  was  Prentice.  He 
had  lived  in  Canada  and  claimed  that  he  had 
been  oppressed,  for  which  he  was  seeking  re 
venge.  His  object,  if  possible,  to  capture  the 
mails,  and  thereby  obtain  valuable  informa 
tion.  He  never  succeeded  in  getting  a  mail 
which  was  brought  to  Erie,  though  he  fre 
quently  made  captures  which  he  took  through 
the  lines  to  our  forces  near  Fort  Erie. 

Early  in  April  Elliott  received  letters  from 
General  Harrison  and  Commodore  Chauncey, 
stating  that  Mackinaw  was  short  of  provisions 


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HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


and  quite  defenseless.  Chauncey  then  or 
dered  Elliott  to  fit  out  the  squadron  and  en 
deavor  to  recapture  it. 

At  last  the  Navy  Department  had  resolved 
to  make  a  separate  command  of  the  Upper 
Lakes.  The  change  was  judicious,  though  it 
should  have  been  made  a  year  before. 

"NAVY  DEPARTMENT,  Apr.  15,  1814. 

"SiR — The  arduous  duties  and  great  increase 
of  force  on  Lake  Ontario  together  with 
the  interruption  of  intercourse  between  the 
commander-in-chief  on  that  lake  and  the 
commander  of  the  squadron  on  Lake  Erie, 
has  rendered  it  expedient  to  place  the  latter 
under  a  separate  command.  Captain  Arthur 
Sinclair  is,  therefore,  appointed  to  the  com 
mand  of  the  squadron  on  Lake  Erie,  to  whom 
you  will  communicate  all  the  information  you 
possess,  and  the  arrangements  you  have  made 
for  the  future  operations  of  the  squadron. 
You  will,  then,  sir,  agreeable  to  your  wish 
expressed  in  your  letter  to  Commodore  Chaun 
cey,  of  the  19th  December  last,  proceed  to 
Sackett's  Harbor  and  report  yourself  to  him. 

"I  am,  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"WM.  JONES." 

"J.  D.  Elliott,  Esq.,  Commanding  U.  S.  Squad 
ron,  Lake  Erie" 


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HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

Captain  Sinclair  arrived  on  the  25th  inst., 
when  Elliott,  after  turning  over  the  command, 
as  instructed,  proceeded  to  Lake  Ontario. 

Sinclair  was  a  thorough  seaman  and  meri 
torious  officer.  He  at  once  commenced  to 
prepare  the  squadron  for  the  afore-named  expe 
dition  against  Mackinaw,  though  he  found  it 
tedious,  as  the  vessels  were  much  damaged 
and  required  extensive  repairs,  particularly 
the  "Lawrence,"  she  being  a  complete  wreck. 
However,  he  managed  to  make  her  quite 
seaworthy,  but  he  made  the  *  'Niagara"  the 
flagship.  Captain  Daniel  S.  Dexter  taking 
command  of  the  "Lawrence." 

Mr.  Dobbins  was  now  relieved  from  cruis 
ing  duty,  and  ordered  to  proceed  with  the 
"Ohio,"  and  stores,  to  Put-in-Bay,  and  assist 
in  fitting  out  the  prizes  "Detroit"  and  "Queen 
Charlotte,"  and  navigate  them  to  Erie.  They 
arrived  about  the  1st  of  May,  and  after  some 
time  were  taken  over  the  bar  and  moored  in 
Misery  Bay.  The  temporary  post  at  Put 
in-Bay  was  then  broken  up  and  the  troops 
removed  to  Detroit. 


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HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


XXI  . 

|FTER  much  difficulty  the  squadron 
sailed  on  the  Mackinaw  expedition 
on  the  25th  of  June,  and  reached  De 
troit  on  the  4th  of  July,  where  they  took  on 
board  six  hundred  troops,  under  the  command 
of  Colonel  Croghen.  When  on  their  passage 
up  they  encountered  much  difficulty  in  cross 
ing  the  St.  Clair  flats,  in  consequence  of  shoal 
water.  On  reaching  Fort  Gratiot  they  took 
on  board  five  hundred  additional  troops, 
under  Colonel  Cotgreave  and  Captain  Gratiot, 
an  engineer  officer.  After  visiting  several 
posts  on  the  Canadian  side,  and  finding  them 
abandoned,  they  sailed  for  Mackinaw,  where 
they  arrived  about  the  25th  of  July.  Find 
ing  the  post  well  fortified,  with  plenty  of 
troops  and  a  horde  of  Indians,  they  made  an 
attempt  to  take  it  by  landing  upon  the  east 
side  of  the  island.  After  a  severe  brush,  in 
which  the  gallant  Major  Holmes  was  killed, 
they  retreated  to  the  vessels  and  abandoned 
the  expedition.  The  squadron  then  sailed 


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HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

for  the  lower  end  of  the  lake.  At  Nautawas- 
saga,  a  block  house  was  destroyed,  and  caused 
the  enemy  to  burn  the  schooner  "Nancy." 
laden  with  stores  and  ammunition  for  Mack 
inaw.  Lieutenant  Worseley,  Royal  Navy, 
commanded  at  this  post,  who  retreated  to  the 
interior  with  his  forces.  The  squadron  now 
sailed  on  their  return,  leaving  the  schooners 
"Scorpion"  and  "Tigress,"  Lieutenant  Turner 
and  Sailing  Master  Champlin  in  command,  to 
cruise  and  watch,  for  the  present,  the  move 
ments  of  the  enemy.  Unfortunately,  they 
were  both  surprised  and  captured  at  anchor 
one  night,  by  a  heavy  body  of  troops  and  In 
dians  in  boats.  In  this  unfortunate  encoun 
ter  the  gallant  young  Champlin  was  severely 
wounded. 

The  squadron  proceeded  on  down  to  Buf 
falo,  conveying  a  portion  of  the  troops  thither. 
The  "Lawrence,"  however,  being  in  bad  con 
dition,  having  nearly  foundered  in  a  blow  on 
Lake  Huron,  was  left  at  Erie,  and  went  into 
ordinary.  The  schooners  "Somers,"  Lieu 
tenant  Conklin,  and  "Ohio,"  Sailing  Master 


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HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

Col  well,  were  left  at  the  lower  end  of  the  lake, 
while  the  rest  of  the  squadron  returned  to 
Erie.  Shortly  after  the  departure  of  the 
squadron,  a  party  of  the  enemy  came  down 
along  the  Canada  shore  in  the  night  in  boats 
and  captured  both  these  schooners  while  lay 
ing  at  anchor  at  Fort  Erie,  thus  making  four 
schooners  the  British  had  captured  since  the 
victory  of  the  10th  of  September. 

Much  has  been  said  and  sung  in  regard  to 
the  execution  of  Sergeant  James  Bird.  The 
truth  is  something  like  this:  The  writer  hav 
ing  heard  frequent  conversations  between  the 
officers  in  regard  to  this  affair,  as  also  has 
heard  his  father,  who  was  an  officer  attached 
to  the  squadron,  relate  the  same.  Bird  came 
to  Erie  with  a  brigade  of  volunteers  from  the 
interior  of  the  state,  was  detailed  with  a 
squad  of  men  to  guard  stores  in  a  small  block 
house  at  the  Cascade,  where  the  large  vessels 
were  built.  Though  in  command,  he  sanc 
tioned  the  pilfering  of  the  stores  he  was  sent 
to  protect;  and  when  information  was  given 
to  the  military  commander  he,  with  his  party, 


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HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

made  mutinous  demonstrations,  but  soon 
were  conquered.  Lieut.  Brooks,  of  the  ma 
rines,  was  recruiting  for  the  squadron,  and 
Bird  being  a  man  of  pluck,  Brooks  wished  to 
secure  him.  Bird,  with  others,  were  told 
that  "the  offense  would  be  overlooked,  pro 
vided  they  would  enlist  as  marines,"  which 
they  did.  Bird  served  gallantly  on  board  the 
"Lawrence"  during  the  action,  and  was 
wounded.  At  the  time  the  squadron  was 
preparing  for  the  Mackinaw  expedition,  Bird 
was  placed  with  a  file  of  marines  to  guard  the 
Government  stores,  and  from  where  he  de 
serted,  taking  John  Rankin,  one  of  the  guard, 
with  him.  A  youngster  belonging  to  Erie 
was  on  his  way  to  school  at  Washington, 
Penn'a,  on  horseback,  having  spent  his  vaca 
tion  at  home,  and  passed  the  two  men  at  a 
tavern  near  Butler.  Having  seen  the  men 
while  on  duty  at  the  store,  he  knew  them. 
He  pushed  on  his  journey,  and  soon  met  Sail 
ing  Master  Colwell  with  a  draft  of  seamen  in 
wagons,  destined  for  Erie  to  join  the  squad 
ron,  and  to  whom  the  youngster  gave  the  in- 


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HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


formation.  Col  well  sent  a  party  in  advance 
in  disguise,  captured,  and  brought  them  to 
Erie.  They,  with  a  sailor  named  John  Davis, 
who  had  deserted  a  number  of  times,  and 
committed  other  offenses,  were  tried  by  court 
martial  on  board  the  "Niagara,"  while  on  the 
passage  of  the  squadron  to  Detroit.  They 
were  all  three  condemned  to  death.  Efforts 
were  made  to  have  Bird's  sentence  commuted 
to  imprisonment,  in  consequence  of  his  gal 
lantry  in  the  action  of  the  10th  of  September, 
but  without  success.  The  President  claimed 
that  "he  had  deserted  from  off  his  post  while 
in  charge  of  a  guard,  in  time  of  war,  therefore, 
must  suffer  as  an  example  for  others."  They 
were  all  three  executed  on  board  the  "Ni 
agara"  while  at  anchor  in  the  roadstead  at 
Erie,  in  October,  1814. 

The  enemy  having  nothing,  comparatively, 
in  the  shape  of  a  "flotilla," — in  fact  but  a  few 
small  craft,  which  seldom  ventured  beyond 
their  harbors — our  squadron  consequently 
did  but  little  cruising,  making  their  head 
quarters  at  Erie,  that,  in  case  of  need,  it  was 


Page    one    hundred    and    fifty-o  n-  e 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 


known  where  they  were  to  be  found.  The 
season  of  storms  soon  came  around,  when 
they  went  into  winter  quarters  at  Erie,  late 
in  November. 


XXII  . 

IN  THE  24th  of  December,  1814,  peace 
was  declared  between  the  United 
States  and  Great  Britain,  and  matters 
began  to  be  quieted  down.  In  July,  1815,  an 
order  was  forwarded  from  Washington  to 
dispose  of  some  of  the  smaller  vessels,  and 
sink  the  "Detroit,"  ' 'Queen  Charlotte,"  and 
"Lawrence,"  in  some  suitable  place  in  the 
harbor,  for  preservation.  Mr.  Dobbins  re 
ceived  an  order  to  supervise  the  sinking, 
which  order  was  fully  complied  with,  and  the 
three  sunk  side  and  side  in  Misery  Bay.  The 
"Niagara"  being  kept  afloat  as  a  sort  of  re 
ceiving  ship. 


Page    one    hundred    and    fifty-t 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

An  incident  occurred  in  connection  with 
the  sinking  which  smacked  a  little  of  the 
marvelous,  and  which  was  the  origin  of  jokes 
and  comments.  The  "Lawrence"  was  moored 
upon  the  west  or  out  side  of  the  other  two, 
and  notwithstanding  her  supposed  safe  moor 
ings,  shifted  her  berth,  though  against  a  cur 
rent,  round  athwart  the  sterns  of  the  other 
vessels.  She  was  again  brought  back  to  her 
moorings,  but  shifted  back  again,  though  ad 
ditional  security  had  been  added.  It  was 
said  in  commenting,  that  she  was  determined 
to  get  a  raking  position,  etc. 

In  1820  an  order  was  received  from  Wash 
ington  reducing  the  station.  In  1825  it  was 
entirely  broken  up  and  the  property  disposed 
of  at  auction.  The  "Lawrence,"  "Detroit," 
"Queen  Charlotte,"  and  "Niagara"  were  pur 
chased  by  Benjamin  H.  Brown,  of  Rochester, 
and  subsequently  sold  to  Captain  George 
Miles,  of  Erie,  in  1836,  who  raised  the  three 
vessels,  intending  to  fit  them  up  for  the  mer 
chant  service.  He  found  the  two  prizes  in 
tolerable  condition,  but  the  "Lawrence"  so 


Page    one    hundred    and    fifty-three 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

badly  riddled  by  shot  that  she  would  require 
docking  and  a  thorough  repair.  Besides,  she 
was  too  shallow  in  the  hold  for  a  merchant 
vessel  of  her  size,  being  but  nine  feet. — The '  'Ni 
agara"  being  the  same,  they  were  therefore 
allowed  to  sink  again,  where  they  lay  side  by 
side  until  1876,  when  the  "Lawrence"  was 
sold  and  raised,  cut  in  half,  and  transported 
on  flat  cars  via  railroad  to  Philadelphia  for 
exhibition  at  the  Centennial. 

She  was  exhibited  immediately  outside  of 
the  grounds  in  a  small  building,  where  she 
was  being  cut  up  for  relics ;  the  building  took 
fire  one  night  and  all  that  was  left  of  her  was 
consumed  The  "Caledonia,"  after  being  con 
verted  into  a  merchantman,  named  the  "Gen 
eral  Wayne,"  was,  after  some  years  of  ser 
vice,  broken  up  at  Erie.  The  "Ohio"  and 
"Somers"  were  captured  by  the  British  at 
Fort  Erie;  the  "Scorpion"  and  "Tigress" 
were  taken  by  the  British  on  Lake  Huron; 
the  "Little  Belt"  and  "Trippe"  were  de 
stroyed  when  Buffalo  was  burned;  the  "Ariel" 
went  ashore  and  was  wrecked  in  Buffalo  bay, 


Page    one    hundred    and    fifty-four 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

and  the  "Porcupine"  was  transferred  to  the 
revenue  department.  The  "Detroit"  was 
raised  in  1835  by  her  owner,  Capt.  George 
Miles,  rigged  into  a  bark,  and  navigated  the 
Lakes  for  some  years;  and  lastly  was  sent 
over  the  falls  as  a  spectacle,  by  speculators, 
showmen  and  hotel  keepers.  The  "Lady 
Provost"  was  sold  to  a  Canadian  merchant, 
for  the  merchant  service,  in  1815. 

TITLE  OF  THE  PARTIES  OWNING. 

Bill  of  sale  from  Benjamin  H.  Brown,  of 
Rochester,  New  York,  to  A.  Q.  D.  Leech, 
(who  transferred  to  George  Miles)  of  "Law 
rence,"  "Niagara,"  "Detroit,"  and  "Queen 
Charlotte,"  said  bill  of  sale  being  made  to 
George  Miles  separately,  bearing  date  as  per 
acknowledgement,  June  20th,  1835. 

(Signed)  B.  H.  BROWN. 

Acknowledgement  by  Geo.  Mumford,  Com 
missioner  Deeds. 

Letter  of  Colonel  Thomas  Forster,  Collector 


Page    one    hundred    and     fifty-five 


HISTORY  OF  THE  BATTLE  OF  LAKE  ERIE 

of  Customs  for  the  District  of  Presqu'ile 
(Erie),  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  in  re 
gard  to  any  claim  the  Government  might 
have  to  said  vessels.  The  inquiry  being 
made  for  information  enabling  the  Collector 
to  grant  papers  to  the  brig  "Queen  Charlotte," 
then  to  be  fitted  out  for  the  merchant  service, 
bearing  date  April  7th,  1835. 

(Signed)     THOS.  FORSTER,  Collector. 

Also  answer  of  Mahlon  Dickinson,  Secre 
tary  of  the  Navy,  disclaiming  any  interest  of 
the  Government  in  said. vessels,  bearing  date 
April  23d,  1835. 

Also  transfer  of  all  right,  title  and  interest 
of  George  Miles  in  said  vessels  to  Leander 
Dobbins,  bearing  date  December  9th,  1857. 

(Signed)  GEO.  MILES. 

Also  transfer  of  hulk  of  "Lawrence"  to 
Thomas  J.  Viers  and  John  Dunlap,  bearing 
date  September  10th,  1875. 

(Signed)  LEANDER  DOBBINS. 


Page    one    hundred    and    fifty-six 


PUBLISHERS'  NOTE 

The  remains  of  the  Flagship  "Niagara" 
were  raised  from  the  waters  of  the  Erie  Har 
bor  in  March,  1913,  and  will  be  rebuilt  for 
exhibition  at  the  Perry  Centennial. 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
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WILL  INCREASE  TO  SO  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $1.OO  ON  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 
OVERDUE. 


— 


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INTERLIBRARY  LOAN 


SEP  13  1976 


LD  21-100m-7, 


B   J  /4U J 


M150494 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


